


Casket Boy

by siriala



Category: CW Network RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alpha Jensen, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Historical, Bottom Jared, Dubious Consent, Dubious Morality, Historical Fantasy, Hurt Jared Padalecki, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Mpreg, Inspired by Real Events, M/M, Omega Jared, Orphans, Rape/Non-con Elements, Threats of Rape/Non-Con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-18
Updated: 2014-07-17
Packaged: 2018-02-09 08:18:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 86,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1975755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriala/pseuds/siriala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every day, Jared could feel that his life was going nowhere fast. Every day he wondered why he hadn't found his true alpha already.</p>
<p>And then a man came to the orphanage to recruit omegas like him to leave the mainland for the Islands, where they would meet many unmated alphas to start a new life and increase the colony's population. Jared was ready to try despite the dangers, but maybe he was not ready to meet someone like Jensen Ackles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for the 2014 spn_j2_bigbang challenge and Bumerbmw made the most beautiful artwork for it, you can see it all [here](http://bumerbmw.livejournal.com/36511.html). The story is directly inspired by the "Filles du Roy", The King's Daughters. These women were courageous pioneers, often young and poor orphans but not only, who were recruited to leave France for the Nouvelle-France province in Canada, to settle and marry, with a financial help from the king, in order to create many families for a wealthier colony. For a decade beginning in 1663, about 800 of them left the old continent in small groups. The majority of them settled and had many children, sometimes through more than one marriage, so that they are now found in a lot of original Quebecers' genealogical trees. The "Filles de la cassette" (Casket Girls) were later sent to Louisiana, mostly for the same purpose. Some of those women sent over to the colonies might have come from a shady background but the common belief that they were all prostitutes is a shame and very much untrue, especially concerning the King's daughters. The casket refers to the very practical trousseau given to the women to help them settle in a place that was not always very hospitable and, in French, to the royal treasury that paid for their trips and other expenses.
> 
> While this story is nothing more than silly and porn-y entertainment, it might seem weird at first to use a man to "give homage" to those women born at a time when wanderlust was only encouraged and admired about males, but I thought the a/b/o fandom trope is a good equivalent and substitute to the rules of western societies back in the 17th century. The fic itself, in the best Hollywood tradition, is a mix of historical facts and pure invention diluted with anachronisms. Enjoy !
> 
> I cast in the parts of Jensen's family actors from other shows whose names I altered in part or completely : his brothers are played by Josh Dallas and Eric Christian Olsen, his father, Matlin Ackles, by Timothy V. Murphy and his o-dad, Nappy, by Titus Welliver (who also played War in Supernatural). You don't need to know them to read the story.
> 
> The lyrics used in the fic are taken from White Light by Starsailor.

He had been here for more than six months when it finally became real for him : he had found his home.

He had decided to change his life, to give it the shape he had always desired when he was still only Jensen, son of Matlin Ackles. He had run with the money inherited from his godmother, invested a good chunk of it to buy his own land, a huge island to keep foreigners at bay, as far as possible from his family. He needed to be able to breathe, to be himself on his own terms. In his father's house, he could only be the heir, as well as his omega dad's pride and joy, the big brother who would one day preside over his whole family's destiny. He had no room to run his own life, no hope and no future that wasn't already written in stone.

Now, being Jensen Ackles, all on his own and responsible for each and every decision, gave him more room to mess it all up, but also a chance to make it by himself. He would not be a simple successor, he would be the creator of something new, something his.

Maybe he was not the best farmer out there, but he had learned so much already, he knew he could only get better and better. He loved his island too much to fail it. For the first time in his life, he felt truly accomplished as he came back home every night, tired in a way he hadn't known in his previous job. And he was free. Free to do what he wanted, free to think and enjoy and say no. He was not about to let go of this feeling for anyone. Not even for his younger brothers who hadn't managed to make him stay in the capital, as much as he loved them, for he was done with that part of his life.

And he was drawing again. His land was his favorite subject, the beauty of the scenery an inspiration unlike anything he had ever seen. His father had all but forbidden him to use his talent for anything else than stuffy family portraits Jensen could never be proud of, but here he had no order to listen to, no one to tell him that his style was too raw and his interests too perverted. He was drawing again, and he was enjoying every second of it.

He felt one with his island. He hadn't slept inside his bedroom for a while. Outside, on the balcony right over the garden, the smell of the reesius and the sound of the cicadas put him to sleep in a few minutes, lulling him through sweet dreams of the bright future opening for him.

This was his land. His to pamper, his to make it grow and fructify. His to love and to own. He knew that inheriting the family's estate would never have felt this way. He might have been born in his parents' bed, the one that should have become his after his father's death, but he had never felt like any of the old place belonged to him.

Here, Jensen was as much part of the land as it was part of him. He'd found his place.


	2. Chapter 2

_Three years later_

 

"Ladies and gentlemen, I salute you. I'm alpha Roché," the man said, taking his hat off before he plunged for a bow, drawing volutes and curls in the air with the feather adorning his headgear.

His smile when he stood back up was as huge as any huckster's trying to sell you his trash.

"I don't think I was ever here before, because I'm sure I would remember all you sweet omegas. But I'm here at last today to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime, the adventure of this century that no one else but you can achieve."

Jared knew already which one of the other orphans gathered in the orphanage's classroom would be susceptible to that kind of talk : the romantics, the ones looking at alpha Roché with stars in their eyes because the man was charming and flattering.

"I'm here today," the alpha repeated, "to tell you about the brilliant project of our great sovereign. Have any of you heard of the Visnian Islands, more commonly known as 'the Islands' ?"

Most people shook their head, especially the younger ones. The name was familiar to Jared, but only because of the great continent of Visnia discovered less than a century ago by fearless explorers. He surmised those Islands were situated not far from it. Jared's interests lay in literature, not so much in geography.

Roché walked along the dais to the blackboard to hang a beautiful card of the region discussed. Above the roughly-drawn, huge shape of the Visnian continent, a smattering of dots – some small, some much bigger – spread over a large surface area, boundaries marked out by what looked like a never-ending barrier.

"As you can see, the Islands are numerous ; scientists have calculated that there might be up to five thousand of them. Since the King took possession of the land and water, he's encouraged colonization and, in this regard, sold some of the Islands and granted unlimited concession of the smallest ones to the poorer farmers who didn't have the money to buy the land. Now those alphas have settled, they're working hard, and all they need is a good omega to marry, to share their lives and help them by looking after their home while they take care of the fields, giving them children that will follow in their footsteps."

"Can't they find a mate out there ?" a very young omega boy wondered out loud. Very young, but already of mating age.

"The Islands were uninhabited before the settlers arrived. Only the continent was, and still is, populated by native tribes, who have very little business with our society. They do not speak our language and they keep their fertiles to themselves. Besides, no indigenous omega can come close to you and everything you'll be able to bring our courageous settlers."

Even bitterly taking note that there were some people in the world that this society's alphas thought were beneath their own omegas, Jared couldn't help but come back to the important point of Roché's address.

"You said marry ?"

The alpha stared at him for a few very uncomfortable seconds.

"Why yes, young man, I did say marry. The King is very aware that some of you might be wary of the possibility of abandonment in a strange land, far from everything and everyone they know, in case of a blank mating. So he gave orders to his Intendant to protect all omegas with a marriage. A real and true marriage, complete with contract and ceremony."

"Aren't there dangerous beasts in the wild land ?" a young girl asked with a half-excited, half-disgusted expression, the differences between mating and marrying obviously still very abstruse for her.

"Not at all, most of the Islands are safe. I don't want to lie to you, the first explorers did find some kind of big animals that they called dragons because it reminded them of the legends our grandparents still believed in, but they were much smaller, they didn't fly or throw fire, and the few Islands infested have been cleaned since then by the regiment of brave soldiers the King sent to ensure the settlers' safety. As I said, our good King is very much concerned with this adventure, and that's why, in his infinite kindness, he's decided to assign a dowry to each of you who will sign today to take a chance on the new land."

The alpha interrupted his speech for a minute to look every omega right in the eyes.

"I can see what you're thinking. You think that I'm telling you a pretty story, a fairytale, something too good to be true. But let the gods be my witness, I'm only telling the truth. I'm not talking about a piaster or two. No. Not at all ! I'm not talking either about ten or twenty piasters, not even about thirty or forty. No, ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking about a fifty-piaster dowry on the day of your wedding to an alpha in the Islands, to help you settle and create a beautiful new family that, in turn, will help our King's magnificence to resonate and shine right until the antipodes."

Damn ! Fifty piasters was no laughing matter. Jared couldn't take alpha Roché seriously – all big words and perpetual moves – but he was just as stunned as the other omegas by this new development.

"And that's not the end of it. Our King is just as wise as he is kind. He realized you would need a lot of things that our strong alphas could never imagine so he asked his wife, our beautiful Queen, to fill a casket for each of you, boys and girls, full of all the articles you will need to settle down, as well as some clothes, including the traditional wedding costume omegas have worn since the age of time."

"But what if we don't find a suitable match ?" Jared insisted, "How will we come back ?"

"Our King will provide once again. This is all part of the safety measures he put in place for you : if you decide you don't want to live there, or you don't find a mate before the end of your one-year contract, you will be transported back to the mainland at the Crown's expense. As I told you, there's nothing to worry about."

Once again, Roché used a silent pause to let his words sink in.

"So, who will sign on for the biggest adventure of their life ? Who will be a proud and fiery omega, ready to bring the virtues and grandeurs of our society right to the other side of the planet and create tomorrow's society ?"

Jared guessed only one orphan here would have the guts to try, and this was Katie. It was tempting, to be honest, this idea to go on such a big adventure and live something new, something different. But it also meant leaving everything behind, and going out there with the professed aim to marry felt a bit too much like selling himself to the best buyer.

He had guessed right. Katie stood up and walked to the alpha to sign her contract, her head held high under the stares.

In the commotion her decision had induced, Jared moved back silently and left the room.

//////////// 

"I'm disappointed in you."

Jared turned to find Katie standing on the threshold of his classroom. The kids had just left, running to get their afternoon snack after a long hour of orthography and grammar. Jared would have liked a few minutes of calm and silence after giving all his attention to teaching bored and noisy children, but it seemed now wasn't the time.

"What did I do ?"

"The problem is not what you did, but what you didn't."

"So what should I have done that makes you so angry ?"

"You know perfectly what I mean, Jared, don't play stupid ! I told the recruiter there would be at least two of us signing up, and you let me down."

"So you _were_ the one responsible for his visit. I can't say that I am very surprised."

They were not the closest of friends, but they liked each other enough. Furthermore, having been raised together, there was not much left that one didn't know about the other. Katie was foolhardy, ready to take on the world, and decided to leave the orphanage as soon as an opportunity would come to her. Jared didn't know how she had met alpha Roché, but it was clear Katie had found in him the way to achieve her goal.

"This is really the opportunity of a lifetime, Jared, don't you see it ?"

"I already have a life, Katie, a job and a house."

"But they're not yours, and that's not what you wish for your future. I know you !" Katie continued with passion in her voice, getting closer to Jared. "You always look so proper, and so collected, because you're doing your best to act and look like Padre Jim, but inside you're a romantic, and you need love and adventure just like your body needs air and sunshine."

"I think you're talking about yourself, not me."

"I'm talking about the both of us, that's why I was so sure you would sign up. We're different in so many things, but not in this. Come on, Jared ! Don't tell me you've already given up on your life ?"

"I'm not giving up, I'm being smart. What would I do if I went there and came back one year later still alone ? My job would be gone, as would my house. I would have nothing left but my eyes to cry and my body to sell on Dyonis Street. Is that the future you wish for me ?"

Katie rolled her eyes.

"Don't be so melodramatic ! You heard alpha Roché, the settlers need omegas, there's not enough of us out there, so for once we'll be the goods that everyone wants. We will be the ones choosing our mates, not the other way around. Think of that ! You always set the bar so high, it's your chance to decide who is good enough for you. You're assured to find someone and never to come back here."

A small voice rose from behind Katie.

"O-master Jared ?"

Both adults turned to look at the little boy standing where Katie had appeared a few minutes before.

"What can I do for you, Nico ?" Jared said gently to reassure the child that he hadn't done anything wrong.

"Padre Jim asked if you can come, Madre Annie had to go lie down 'cause she's sick and there's no one to watch us and he says we can't stay alone."

"Alright. Go back and tell Padre Jim that I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay."

The boy left running while Jared got up and began to tidy his desk in a hurry.

"Don't run, Nico."

Katie raised her voice to be heard, but her sigh told Jared that the kid hadn't really listened. Katie was good at math, but her teaching skills suffered from her lack of patience. The children always responded better to Jared, especially during his literature classes.

"And you," she continued, pointing a finger to Jared, "don't think that this discussion is over."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Jared muttered under his breath.

Katie tried to corner him on more than one occasion in the next few days, but Jared's lucky star – and their numerous occupations all day long – protected him. He had nothing to add to their conversation.

Which didn't mean he wasn't interested. His recent nights had been filled with fantasies of this new world, populated with so many unmated alphas that omegas only had to show up to get at least ten suitors. Something in him yearned to leave, throw caution through the window for once, try his luck and make wonderful memories that would last him a lifetime, whether he found his mate or not.

Padre Jim would miss him if he left, of course, but there were so many orphaned omegas ready to take his place. Some of the kids would probably miss him too, but they were not his, and if he had a chance to get the family he had always dreamed of…

He had let his chance pass anyway, so there was no use in fretting about it now. He'd better go and sleep soon, because tomorrow would prove to be just as full and tiring a day as any other, no matter what foolish dreams a flamboyant alpha had planted in his mind.

//////////// 

Wednesday mornings were one of Jared's favorite times of the week, as it was his turn to go to the market in search for food. The vegetable garden and the orchard in the orphanage's backyard didn't suffice to feed children and constantly hungry teenagers, nor did the henhouse.

Jared enjoyed wandering through the stalls, taking his time to choose good produce that most orphans would appreciate. Jared himself was well-known and liked by the vendors, who had first seen him as a child for the most part, so he often got quality treats to bring back home. There was never enough for everyone, which meant he had to make a choice and disappoint some of the kids, but he tried to be as fair as possible, week after week.

He didn't make it to the market on this particular Wednesday before he was cornered by a man he recognized instantly : alpha Roché. It was impossible not to feel like prey flushed out of its hiding place by a hunter on the prowl.

"Hello, sweet omega !" the alpha exclaimed, playing once more with his hat to salute Jared. "Here we meet again. I guess it's destiny's will, don't you think ?"

A destiny named Katie, for sure ! Jared tried in vain to keep a smile out of his face. The alpha was outrageous, and very much harmless, even though he had obviously sensed Jared's interest in his proposition a few days ago.

"I've been wondering how a sweet little thing like you could still be unmated…"

"Little ?!" Jared couldn't help replying, drawing himself to his full height.

"Alright, not so little. But this only proves my point. All the good alphas here are already taken. Like me." This was added with a satisfied smile that only had Jared more amused. "Someone like you needs a real alpha, not one of the still-unmated clowns stalking our fair city."

The man came to stand right in front of Jared, invading his personal space, his index finger tapping Jared's chest to punctuate each and every "you" of his speech.

"You need to see for yourself that I'm not lying. There's no challenge for you here, or you would have given life to ten kids already by your age. No, you need more, and you'll only find it in a much rougher place, with alphas who know who they are and what it means to take a mate. To mate you."

Perhaps he was right, Jared thought. Maybe what he needed was someone more assertive, who wasn't afraid of working hard, far from the comfort and the security of the city. But how could he reconcile this with his deeper need for liberty, his unwillingness to submit ? All the alphas who had suggested that he mate with them had received a gentle but explicit no. None of them had really tried to make him change his mind either.

"You know," alpha Roché called his attention back, "the usual term for a sojourn in the Islands is one year. But I'm at liberty, if I think it will help, to reduce that time to six months. So, would it help you to make a decision ?"

"How much do you make for each omega you're recruiting ?" Jared wondered instead of answering.

"Enough for a living, as long as they're not all as difficult to convince as you are," Roché replied with a smile, "which is amusing, as I consider you to be one of the best equipped to go out there."

This was the heartfelt comment Jared had been waiting for. No bluster and bragging, an honest opinion that finished convincing him.

//////////// 

Eight to nine orphans out of ten were omegas. And out of those eight, at least five had been abandoned at birth for being another mouth who would need to be fed, but would not contribute to the household's prosperity. A basic family could only afford to raise one or two omegas who would serve the rest of their relatives before their mating, the moment they would become productive too by making children.

It was very probable that Jared had been born in such a family, another omega that his parents couldn't afford, given up to the padres to bring him up. At least his parents hadn't drowned him right after his birth, or left him in a place where he was sure to die.

Jared couldn't say that he was happy with his life, yet he felt content. He had a job, a roof over his head and food on his plate every day, a protector who had been kind of a father to him, and Jared knew that he was useful to the orphaned children that he tried to shower with as much love as he was capable of feeling. Not everyone could show so much for twenty years of a life that had begun under such unfavorable auspices.

Yet he couldn't seem to get his most fervent desire : someone to love, and a family, to replace the one that had thrown him away. Many alphas thought he was too tall, the men especially, and didn't even look at him twice. Others thought he was too _this_ , or not enough _that_. And sadly, the ones who had believed Jared could be the one for them hadn't even registered on his own worth scale.

Because Jared knew what he didn't want : a mating without love and respect. He needed to find his true alpha, the one made for him and him alone, and this marvelous specimen was nowhere to be found on this continent ; maybe he had migrated to a new world, as alpha Roché had suggested, in search of a more exciting way of life and his true omega.

There were so many things to hate about being an omega, too many options to choose from : the dependency, the childlike state their society imposed on them, the physical weakness, the wretched biology that made them slaves to their needs as much as to the alphas' cocks.

Jared had been warned very young not to touch himself or let any alpha do it. He had learned that the more an omega's genitalia were stimulated, the bigger the risk that, depending on the case, the vagina or rectum would slick. Because in the end, an omega's ultimate goal would always be to mate, and their body could be tricked into thinking any alpha would be okay. Jared had seen some of those omegas who had settled for what was called a blank alpha, most of the time older men and women who had gotten tired of waiting for their true mate and given up, but also many of his former orphan friends who had accepted the first offer to escape their miserable condition. They lived a joyless life next to a companion who might abandon them someday with their children, if they ever met their own true, virgin omega mate, whereas the chance for an already blank-mated – already used – omega to be chosen by their true mate, should they meet them later, were slim to null, especially if there were children involved.

Even the law was against them, as a blank alpha owed nothing to his blank mate if they separated. Not even their children were due anything if the alpha refused to sustain them once they'd created a new family. It was the government's way to encourage true mating, to keep omegas chaste and pure until they met their chosen one. At the same time, any omega still unmated after 25 was frowned upon, encouraged to go out more to find their mate and accept the first proposition. It was always considered an omega's fault if they weren't mated by the end of their teenage years, either because they were too demanding or not attractive enough.

But it would not be the same out there in the Visnian Islands. The omegas would get to marry their chosen alphas, not only mate them, and while a marriage contract was breakable, the alphas would have to provide for any children born during the union and pay reparations to their outcast mates. That was probably one of the best reasons for the omegas to sign on the dotted line. Protection for themselves and their progeny.

//////////// 

Convincing Padre Jim of the soundness of his decision proved more difficult.

"Are you sure this is the right choice, Jared ? I know you feel your life here is stifling and that you won't find your mate in this city, but you cannot imagine the dangers out there."

For some reason, the older man had always treated him like his own child and there was no mistaking the real worry shadowing his wrinkled face.

"I'm sure, Padre. You're right, there's nothing for me here, and even if I don't find what I'm looking for in the Islands either, I'll be there only six months. I have to try. I won't forgive myself if I don't take this chance."

"Is this about the kind of alpha you think you'll meet there ? Do you think they'll be much different than the ones who want to court you here ?"

"Maybe, in part at least. But this is also about what I can do out there. You know teaching has never been a vocation for me, and I'm not made to sew and cook all my life either. I can do those things, but I want more."

"I'm afraid this will be your downfall, Jared. Promise me at least that you'll take care of yourself, and that you'll stay with the other omegas. You know how alphas can sometimes lose their minds. I guess it can only be worse in a godforsaken camp where there are ten to twenty alphas vying for one omega's attention."

"Don't forget the betas. I'm sure there'll be some of them assigned to our protection if need be."

Padre Jim closed his eyes for a short moment, probably praying to receive the understanding Jared needed right now.

"Very well," he accepted. "If you're all set on doing this, at least leave with my benediction and the assurance that, should you ever want to come back, your place here will never be called into question. This is, and will always be, your home."

//////////// 

The ship was called New Islands and she was a beauty. Her captain was a tall, haughty alpha answering to the name of Mark Pellegrino, sieur of Castle Pitwitt. His crew called him One-Leg.

The nickname's origin became evident as soon as the man walked up to the omega contingent. Even hidden behind a pair of matching boots and long breeches, the captain's limp immediately gave away the fact that his right leg was no more, probably replaced by a wooden stump.

Maybe that was the reason why the man gave them some lip, or maybe he was just another insufferable alpha convinced of his natural superiority, because he was strong and the gods had given him a knot.

"I will tolerate no indecent behavior on my ship !" One-Leg greeted them. "You omegas will live in the armory for the duration of the crossing, and you are not allowed to get on the main deck, or any other deck for that matter, unless one of my beta officers is with you. Now you're going to sign the register so that your recruiter can get paid, then we'll get a move on. I know it's contrary to your nature but please hurry, I want to catch that wind so we need to be gone as soon as possible."

Well, the guy was a jerk and he didn't try to hide it. Jared couldn't say the obligation to avoid him during the trip, trapped below-deck inside the ship, would leave him heartbroken.

Jared caught sight of the three men and a woman standing next to a table on the other side of the deck. The mentioned register sat there under the watchful eyes of a fifth man, a notary going by his clothes. The five alphas were all waiting for the omegas to get into a line to sign the book, one after the other, next to their name and the one of their recruiter. Jared shared a smile with alpha Roché when his turn came, ready to have a few words with him, but Pellegrino kept on rushing them all until the last omega had appended his signature and the ink had barely dried in the cold, damp air of this grey afternoon.

"This is where I say my goodbyes," Roché announced, drawing into the air once again the volutes he loved to create with his hat feather. "Sweet omegas, I bid you all a pleasant trip and a loving marriage, and wish not to see you ever again on this shore. Adios !"

After more volutes and a few complicated footsteps heralding his good mood, the alpha turned heels and promptly walked down the ship's ramp, joined by the three other recruiters, whose goodbyes had been a lot more subdued, following the notary with the register safely tucked under his arm. Considering the number of times Jared had seen Roché's name written in the accounting book, this was, money-wise, a very good day for the alpha.

The captain didn't lose time gathering the omegas once again to get them all to their deck, muttering to himself about the damn fools' slowness and inefficiency. Many an omega spared a hard glance to him before descending into the dark space they were going to inhabit for the next two months.

They were lucky enough not to be under the waterline, yet not even a tiny porthole let the sun filter in. Their only source of lighting happened to be a few candles protected behind thick glass as soon as the hatch above them was shut. Clearly, One-Leg didn't want them to disturb his crew while the galleon made its way out of the harbor.

//////////// 

Often at night, Jared couldn't help thinking of the kids he was leaving behind, of Padre Jim and all the staff at the orphanage. The only family he had ever known. The last memories he was carrying away with him were festive. They had celebrated the solstice and the New Year in a small but joyful way a few days prior to his departure, and Jared wondered where he would be next year, who would share with him the important milestones of the calendar from now on.

He tried to turn over, but the swaying stopped him. The hammock was such a strange device to sleep in, and far too short for him of course. Jared's legs had either to stay bent all night long, and his knees were killing him after a short while, or to hang out, which destabilized his hanging bed and often led to kicking someone else. More than fifty omegas in such a confined place inevitably had the hammocks hung close to each other. Privacy was nonexistent around here.

Nights were long on the ship, and the day awfully longer. The omegas didn't have much to do, especially after all the candles had burned out and the crew had once again forgotten to bring more. Many, including Jared, had taken to passing the time with naps, but then the nights seemed to stretch even more as sleep eluded them. No room meant no movement or activity, which meant no tiredness. Which led to frayed tempers, aggravated by the impossibility to get away from others.

All in all, this trip had turned out to be a nightmare in the making. Jared didn't feel any patience anymore. Katie's chatter was headache-inducing at best, and often a reason to start a fight. Fortunately, few omegas had been seasick, and all of those had managed to get used to the pitching and tossing rather quickly. The smell in the armory had been totally insufferable on the first few days because of this, but it was now just a matter of not being able to wash properly. Thanks to the gods for small mercies.

One-Leg had authorized groups of five omegas to get on the upper deck in rotation, and this twice a day. Therefore, approximately once every five days, all fifty omegas enjoyed the sun in turn – or icy rain and cold wind, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and no one complained because of this wondrous, half-hour-long feeling of freedom. It was also the occasion to wash at last, hidden behind a sail that revealed a bit too much at times with the help of the sun. Most omegas took offense at the whistling and the obscene propositions shouted by the alpha members of the crew, especially the ones climbing on top of the mast to try and get a good look at the naked omegas during their ablutions.

It was made very clear that those same crew members, men and women hardened by a tough job, thought of the omegas as whores trying to leave their turbulent pasts behind and begin anew in a place where no one would know about it. They kept offering to make the trip more fun, to enjoy life one last time before they had to play the virgins they hadn't been for a very long time.

It was all rather depressing, and Jared could only hope this wasn't a sample of the life awaiting them in the Islands.

//////////// 

It was always easy to talk a beta into doing what you wanted as long as you presented it in a rational way, and Barnes, the ship's officer in charge of the omegas on board, proved just as susceptible as any other beta Jared had encountered before. It took less than two weeks to make him see that the contingent needed a few minutes outside their deck regularly, that the time spent out of their cage to wash every five days just wasn't enough, and that fresh air would be needed all the more as they'd be getting closer to their destination, where the temperatures rose higher all year long.

Barnes couldn't let them out every night, but it was not particularly complicated to find times when One-Leg was sound asleep in his cabin and the best part of the crew down on their own deck. Sailors at night were less annoying, more restrained. Maybe they felt nostalgic for their own mates back at home, or maybe they were afraid of waking up their impatient and unforgiving captain, but none of them said anything about the ten or so omegas roaming the main deck, breathing greedily.

On nights the moon shone, big enough to illuminate everything, Jared found himself fascinated by the sea. It was at its most impressive while the wind was down and the gently moving water gave an impression of stillness. The light exuding from the celestial body played at drawing straight lines on its surface. The only sound came from the ship, squeaking in time with its slow swaying. Jared felt at peace anew, forgetting doubts and fears in the calm surrounding him.

Even Katie let him enjoy these moments alone, which explained why Jared finally found himself confronted one night with a very awake, and very drunk, Captain Pellegrino.

//////////// 

"Hello, pretty boy," Pellegrino whispered in his ear, strong breath reeking of liquor wafting to Jared's nose, before he plastered his whole body against Jared's back.

Drunkenness made One-Leg a lot more sufferable. And a lot more amorous. What he lost in haughtiness was replaced by wandering hands that liked to take residence on Jared's ass and refused to leave.

The captain was tall, one of the tallest alphas Jared had known in his life, almost as tall as him, and it only added to the feeling of being paralyzed by the too-intimate touch. He knew he didn't have the power to break free, that Pellegrino could take him there and then if he wished.

The other omegas saved him, that time and the next two, as Jared felt once again the captain invading his space and trying to take possession of his body.

Then came their fourth encounter. It began in the same fashion, but this time no one was there to help him.

That night was not one of those calm and silent moments Jared enjoyed so much ; on the contrary, the wind had risen and the ship was picking up speed after two days of near immobilization. Jared couldn't feel bad about the change of weather, if only because it meant that the trip would last not much longer than predicted. But he was the only omega who enjoyed the rougher sea. The other ones had long decided to get back to their shelter, to avoid the sea spray and any risk of being thrown overboard.

One-Leg had probably suffered from boredom too, alcohol his way of dealing with the long, idle hours. He looked exhilarated as the wind filled the sails and pushed his ship along, pitching against the sheer force of the element. He looked feverish too, crazy with desire after too many days spent with his own hands, and Jared felt his heart sink when the captain dragged him towards his cabin, his screams for help lost in the howling wind.

The cabin was small and filled to the brim, each plane covered with books and maps. Pellegrino brushed everything from the table before he pushed Jared to lie down on it.

The position was worse than trying to fit in a hammock. Jared's head and legs hung at each end of the table, but the captain's tight grip on his torso prevented him from moving away. Then Pellegrino managed to tie his wrists and ankles to the legs of the table, and Jared couldn't even hope to get away anymore.

One-Leg stood back up, a filthy grin on his face, and looked at Jared, all trussed up, while his laboring breath got back under control.

"I watch you all the time," he said, his hands coming to Jared's shirt to slide it along his torso up to his shoulders. "I authorized the nightly promenades to be able to touch you. What ? You thought your pretty dimples would be enough to sway one of my officers ? I watch you while you're washing, all naked like your fellow omegas, but you're the only one I see. And I dream that I keep you on board, that I keep you constantly naked, for my amusement and that of my crew, that we all get to swat your virgin omega's ass before we take you, all in turn. Me first, of course, because I'm the captain, and I'm the only one you really want."

"You're delusional !" Jared cried, jerking to try and escape the alpha's touch as much as testing the ropes. "I don't want you or anyone here, let go of me !"

It was pointless, One-Leg was too far gone, and he showed it by ignoring Jared's words and sliding the omega's breeches and undergarment along his hips and legs, baring him entirely in one violent movement.

"You don't get to talk to me like that, omega," he menaced at the same time, words slurred but still frightening. "Watch your mouth !"

One-Leg's admonition was enhanced by the rapid and stinging succession of swats to Jared's bottom, left half-hanging off the table by the shortness of the furniture.

Nausea was seizing Jared. He had kept himself pure all these years, and he was about to be raped by a vile alpha who didn't even want him to keep him, fantasizing about sharing his body with his whole crew to enjoy the spectacle of Jared's degradation. An alpha who enjoyed hitting him.

He had never been one to accept orders and once again his rebellious streak showed. His reaction to the slapping was a mix of demands to be untied and cries of pain as more swats landed on his naked butt. But it chased the nausea away, replaced by outrage. With his eyes, he searched frantically around the room for a knife, anything to cut the ropes and escape before the man began to really touch him.

There was no weapon he could see, but Jared realized suddenly that the ship's rolling motion was a force he could use. The screws holding the table to the floor were nearly unbolted. Jared just had to wait for One-Leg to stand up by his side to take him down with him.

He managed to move his feet enough to kick Pellegrino's shin, encouraging him to move where Jared couldn't reach him. Then, at the next deep swaying of the ship in the right direction, Jared used his weight to throw the table against the alpha, bringing him down in his fall. One-Leg's body cushioned him. Jared hadn't really had time to think about that in his panic to get free, but the table propelled by his weight could have meant some bad bruises to himself, maybe even a broken bone or a deep cut into his arm or leg. Fortunately, the only thing broken was the table itself, and Jared was able to untie himself quickly and easily before he put his clothes back on with a disgusted shudder. The captain hadn't even touched him, but he felt the need to wash anyway, although he knew already that he would have a hard time doing it from now on, for fear of the holes in the deck that could hide unwanted eyes watching him.

One-Leg was down for the count, snoring loudly. Jared didn't lose time to make sure he was comfy, he rather liked the idea of the alpha waking up in the morning with an aching back and a bump on the head. He made his way out of the cabin, shutting the door behind him. Walking as quickly as he dared and clutching the rail to stay upright, Jared threw the ropes in the stormy sea then slid quietly through the hatch of the omega deck to get to the safety of his contingent.

He found Katie all awake and waiting for him. He didn't want to talk about it but knew that his fears probably showed on his face, easily readable to someone as clever as his friend, even in the low lighting of the only candle left burning.

Jared blew on the flame before he led Katie to their respective hammocks. Tomorrow would come soon enough to remember this frightful night, when he had almost lost all his chances at happiness. Soon enough to hear Katie mock him again, as gently as she meant it, about the captain's crush on him.

But it would never be soon enough to go on the deck again at night.

//////////// 

Jared would always remember the crossing of the ocean as the two most terrible months of his life. Sixty-three days of dank air, rancid food, and often-bored, sometimes bickering omegas all by themselves. A lewd crew best forgotten. One foul-mouthed captain with no qualms about using for his pleasure the omegas he despised so much.

Never again, Jared promised himself as he prepared to finally set foot on the land that would be his home from now on. He was here to find a good husband and create a new life. He wouldn't go back and fall prey to everything he had escaped.

He was the last to come out of the ship. One-Leg had chatted him up, obviously trying to separate him from his fellow omegas and get in his breeches one last time. The guy was so far from Jared's type it was laughable, especially after their fortunately forgotten encounter a few weeks before – the captain had probably imagined that it was all an alcohol-induced dream – but still he had tried to get away pleasantly despite the wandering hands, to ensure that the man wouldn't make it his mission to spread damning gossip about Jared right upon his arrival in the Islands.

As soon as Jared walked the first few steps on his new land, the fragrances of the varied and alien flora filled his sense of smell with delight. It was sweet and heady, a striking contrast to the pervasive smell of thousands of souls gathered in Tethreya, the mainland capital he had left two months earlier. On board the ship, living secluded behind closed doors with fifty or so other omegas had all but erased any scent not coming from the bodies. Even the sea, that they were not allowed to see much of anyway, didn't register anymore.

The view was not all that great compared to the smell. Jared supposed that every port in the world looked about the same as this one, busy and a bit scary to someone who had never travelled before. Still, his first look at Ismia was disappointing. He had hoped for a glorious panorama to greet him, something exotic and seductive. He had hoped to feel at home.

The resounding laugh of Jeannie, one of the omegas who had crossed the sea with him, drew his attention to the wagons leaving the port for a destination unknown to Jared – probably the omegas' living quarters. He swore under his breath and called out to make them stop and wait for him, beginning to run in a futile attempt to catch the wagons. He didn't want to wander alone in a foreign city, didn't even know where he was supposed to go, and all his meager possessions were leaving with the omega contingent. But the carts turned around the corner and disappeared from view, hidden behind many huge boxes piled more or less closely to form a labyrinth of streets.

Jared kept on running as long as he could, even though he didn't see or hear the wagons anymore, until he came violently to a halt as his body bumped into another one.

It was an alpha's scent so Jared began to apologize by rote, not putting any thought in it. He hadn't really watched where he was going anyway, looking everywhere for his fellow omegas, and…

Everything around him ceased to exist as the new scent took precedence over the whole world.

He had never smelled anything similar, but he knew what it was. It could only mean one thing : he had found his true alpha. Here, two minutes after setting foot on the new land he had travelled to in the hope of finding love at last, he had come face to face with his mate.

"Sorry, man," his alpha said with a smile. "I was so happy to get my things at last, the ship was three days late ! I didn't even see you."

Before Jared stood the most gorgeous man he had ever seen : smaller than him in height, but tall anyway, and built for strength and agility ; green, kind and laughing eyes, harmonious features, full lips Jared couldn't wait one more second to kiss.

This man was his. His to love and sustain, his to be loved and protected by, his to kiss.

Jared crowded the alpha against the nearest crate and covered his mouth with his lips. It was his first kiss, but he wasn't even afraid of messing up, because his true alpha would love everything about him, and he would teach him what he wanted Jared to know.

His first lesson came with the tongue pushing into his mouth to reach his own and rub against it, with the hands covering his ass and stroking.

Jared felt dizzy, his pheromones in such a twisted fury that he was able to smell them even through the haze of his alpha's own chemical response. His shirt was already sliding down his arms when he realized he had taken to disrobe himself. He just couldn't wait, he had to feel his alpha's hands on him, everywhere.

"I'm Jared," he managed to whisper between two heated kisses. "I want you."

"Jensen," his alpha replied in a breath, and Jared repeated the unfamiliar and beautiful name again and again in his head. The more he learned about this man, the more he loved him, down to that kind of detail.

He loved his scent to distraction, loved his taste with a passion, loved the feel of his hands closing around his cock to get him harder than ever.

It was soon Jared's turn to find himself back against a row of boxes. He was entirely naked now, but it didn't feel that strange while his mate's body covered his with warmth and abandon. Jensen had just taken his shirt off, but his breeches were open to reveal his own big alpha cock, knot already appearing to Jared's very interested eyes. He had never seen one, never touched, never wanted to. And now he craved it.

Jared mirrored Jensen's touch to his balls, rolling them into one hand while the other was stubbornly wrapped around Jensen's neck to keep him as close as possible. He whined when Jensen's mouth began to slide down, bringing his lips to Jared's Adam's apple, sucking briefly on it, like a repetition before the fiercer move he used seconds later on Jared's right nipple.

Jared gasped aloud, his face contorting in unexpected bliss. Such pleasure should have been impossible, yet Jensen proved to him it could be done again, almost on command, with the surprised nips on his other nipple eliciting a new gasp.

He couldn't seem to open his eyes, as much as he wished to look at Jensen taking his cock in his mouth, pleasure skyrocketing like those fireworks he had admired on New Year's Eve. Jared was ready to burst, again like the fireworks showering the gaping crowd with silver and gold sparks, and he didn't know if he could, didn't know how to ask. He didn't care that much in the end, he wanted his mate's mouth on his dick and balls forever.

Jensen's fingers resumed their tour of Jared's hips, finding their way to his ass to palm each cheek. They stayed there for a while, stroking so gently that Jared almost missed the progressive, minute downhill drift towards his hole, the invasion of his crack.

It was the slick already running down his thighs that got his attention, and then the feeling of Jensen's fingers entering his body, sliding inside so smoothly that it felt like they were going home on a path travelled many times, though Jared was a complete virgin. Even slicking was a very rare occurrence for him. It was the definite confirmation that this alpha was his mate, the one destined to unlock any inhibition and fear he may feel, the one who would possess Jared in every way, his body first and his love foremost.

He wanted to taste Jensen, to bring his scent inside of him. Copying his mate's earlier moves, he fell to his knees and bent to take the alpha's cock in his mouth. It felt even bigger that way, his lips unable to cover the whole knot. The shiver that went through Jared at the thought of that huge thing forcing his rim and then pounding his canal was part fear and part eagerness. He couldn't wait to give everything to his alpha.

The taste was bitter and sweet at the same time, unlike anything he could think of. He knew he would soon be addicted, and that he would do this for his mate as often as asked of him, enjoying every second of the act. But maybe he would rather feel it fill his ass.

He was about to discover the answer to that question. Jensen reared back, getting out of Jared's mouth with a loud pop, but Jared didn't have time to regret the loss as he was turned over and disposed to present his ass to his alpha.

An incredible feeling of rightness washed over him. The position should have felt humiliating, legs spread wide and ass in the air to allow complete access for the mating, but it was in fact the evidence of his trust and love in his alpha, the prelude to their shared life.

Jared moaned when he felt Jensen's tongue lapping at his hole, getting his most intimate scent, marrying his saliva with the slick of his mate. Jensen had a very wicked tongue, nimble and naughty, but also strong enough to pierce Jared's rim and get inside his body. One finger joined it in the next few moments, then a second, twisting and turning and pushing, finding a place inside Jared that had him roaring with pleasure.

"Take me !" Jared shouted. "Mate me !"

The tongue retreated, and then the fingers, and Jared knew it was only a matter of seconds before his lover would enter him to mate them forever.

But then nothing happened. Jensen wasn't touching him anymore.

"Why are you stopping ?" Jared cried, the need to be taken so overwhelming.

A terrible thought went then through his mind. He turned enough to see Jensen, and the lost expression in his mate's eyes had him fearing the truth even more.

"Are you blank-mated already ?"

"What ? No !" Jensen replied with a look of absolute horror on his face, probably worse than the one Jared could feel on his own face, as if the idea of cheating was as terrible for this alpha as killing small children. "I'm not mated, Jared, but I can't mate with you anyway."

The despair Jared felt at those words must have reflected in his eyes, in the tears falling down, because Jensen's hand attempted to reach for him again before the alpha thought better of it.

"I'm sorry," he added, honest remorse so thick in his voice it was almost tangible. "I have to go."

Clutching his shirt and his still open breeches, Jensen moved away this time, far from Jared, scent and sound of his still-erratic breathing disappearing behind the pile of crates forming the nearest turn where Jensen had first appeared.

Jared's arms gave up and he let his face fall into his hands to try and control the tears running from his eyes in time with the wretched feeling of abandon. It couldn't be possible, Jensen was probably sick or something, he would come back soon and mate him, bring him again this incredible pleasure Jared was already addicted to, the pleasure he wanted to feel for the rest of his life.

Jared didn't know how much time had passed like that, still crying so hard, when he felt hands on his ass again. But the scent was all wrong, and the fact that two more hands settled on his back to keep him bent made the threat all the more evident.

"Hello, omega, seems like you need a bit of help here."

Jared somehow recognized the voice of one of the sailors on board the New Islands, one who had seen the omegas washing naked more than once from his point of view in the crow's-nest. Jared had always been vigilant to never stay alone near him, but here he was, body still thrumming because of the incomplete mating, his pheromones pushing him to give himself and open up for the taking.

He felt as close to nausea as he had on board when Pellegrino had tried to have him, but he just couldn't move and fight. Something in him rooted him to the spot, something that made him open up his mouth when the second sailor presented him with his dick while the first one was actively licking at his hole. Something that made him push his ass against the intruder's mouth because the sensation wasn't half as gratifying as with Jensen and he needed more.

Maybe it was the memory of his mate that had Jared finding the force to fight eventually. He tried to spit the dick out of his mouth, but had to bite to be freed, which earned him a violent slap on both cheeks. His hair was pulled to keep him in place, and to try to stop his yelling a hand closed around his neck. By then, the sailor behind him had three digits inside his ass, obviously readying Jared for more.

And then nothing.

For the second time, everything stopped as someone was about to take him. But this time, the alpha had been forced to let him go by the return of his mate, and Jared saw everything from the corner of his eye as the other sailor's grip on him had slipped a bit, undecided if he should go and help his friend or keep the omega ready for more.

Jared didn't give him a choice. He used the alpha's distraction to bring his skull up hard into the man's jaw. It hurt him almost as much as it did the other guy, but it gave him the opportunity to hit him again, with his fist this time. It was not enough to knock an alpha out, but it would buy Jensen time to finish with the other one and come to Jared's aid.

Jared watched as Jensen, having dispatched the first sailor as an avenging angel full of righteous fury, went to trade blows with the second one, pummeling his face and torso with his bloody fists. Jared was pretty sure that even without his help Jensen would have always beaten the two men, such was the rage he displayed while defending Jared.

The omega jumped into Jensen's arms when it was all over. He didn't have many tears left but he felt the shock of the last minutes settle over him, cutting his legs. It seemed only Jensen's support was able to keep him standing up. The soothing strokes of his hands against Jared's back. The whispers telling him how sorry he was for letting all this go as far as it did.

But then the noise of other voices broke the enchantment, and Jared had no other choice than to put his clothes back on in a hurry and follow Jensen.

They walked at a sedate pace for a while. Jensen led him by the hand, gently coaxing him to go on every time his feet slowed down. Jared knew Jensen was taking him to the place the omegas were staying at, but the thought of separating from his alpha made him feel nauseous again. And his mind seemed broken, ruminating the same thoughts over and over again.

He had never heard of an alpha refusing their virgin true mate. What was so wrong about him that Jensen could send him away, that he was able to ignore the pull of the mating when Jared had offered himself less than ten seconds after their meeting ?!

"Why ? Why don't you want me ?" he forced himself to ask, needing to know what kind of resistance he had to fight. If he had the slightest chance to change his alpha's mind. "Is it because I'm too tall ?"

Jensen rubbed the nape of his neck with his right hand, seemingly lost for the right answer.

"Man, it's not _you_ I don't want. And you're perfect physically, the most beautiful person I've ever seen. I… I just don't want anyone. And most of all, I won't inflict myself on anyone else."

That didn't make any sense to Jared. They were made for each other, and if Jensen didn't want him, then it meant that Jared would be alone for the rest of his life. Just like Jensen. He had to believe that he could change the alpha's mind because this feeling of belonging he had never experienced before was too encompassing, too marvelous, to let it go away.

"Will I see you again ?"

"I don't know if it's a good idea, Jared. I live on my own island anyway, I don't come to Ismia every day."

"Please, don't… don't cut me out, it's too painful."

They shared a long look that had Jared shivering again with desire, his body and mind nowhere near the calm and peace he was used to.

"Alright, I'll try to participate in a few balls and picnics, but I can't tell you when. I have to work, and crops do not wait."

"I understand but… Thanks, Jensen."

This was not exactly what he had dreamed of, but it would have to do. Asking for more would only alienate him and lower Jensen's good will.

Jared felt the tension back in his mate when he leaned in to kiss his cheek, but the alpha didn't push him away. He also waited for Jared to be safely inside the palace before turning back to his own life, without the omega he should have taken home tonight for the rest of their entwined lives.


	3. Chapter 3

"Where were you ?" Katie asked him when he was finally ushered into a big dining room by a soldier who hardly reached his breast and looked at him with as much wonder as incredulity. The alpha grunt had refused to believe that Jared belonged to the newly disembarked omega contingent, in spite of what his nose was telling him, until he had found Jared's name in the list provided by Captain Pellegrino.

For some reason, Jared didn't want to explain his misadventures to Katie any more than the meeting with his reticent alpha. His thoughts were too jumbled, his pride scattered. He needed time to make peace with all these events.

"Pellegrino held me back."

"Trying to get in your breeches again ?"

"What do you think ?"

Katie's smirk was a bit grating but Jared didn't have time to chastise her for once again mocking his troubles as another short man came into the room. A soldier brought a small dais for him to step on, enhancing the alpha's haughty attitude.

"I'm Mark Sheppard," the man introduced himself, "representative of the King in the Islands. My full title is Intendant of the Royal Visnian Islands, and I'm the one deciding everything happening here. Laws are strict in the islands. You'll have to learn what is permitted and what's not. Right now, suffice to say that if you can do it, you have me to thank for it. If you can't, it means I ruled it out."

Big-headed man, Jared thought, trying to turn himself into a god, but his words probably reflected only the truth.

"You omegas are under my protection during your time spent in my Province, thanks to the King's grace extended to you by his words and law. You'll be expected to act in a manner befitting of the honor offered to you."

Paula, a female omega Jared didn't appreciate much, raised her hand.

"Mr. Sheppard ?" she asked, slightly quivering.

"That's Lord Sheppard to you, sweetheart."

The Intendant's voice was all honey and warmth, but there was no doubt the man would get very annoyed if he didn't receive the respect due to his person.

"I'm sorry, my Lord. I wanted to ask how we're going to live while we're looking for alphas to marry. Also, how are we going to meet the alphas ?"

It seemed the slight rebuke, far from frightening the poor girl, had only made her more determined to get her answers.

"All very good questions, my dear. Our good King has decreed that you are all allowed two months of living on the Royal Cassette, then you'll have to find a job to sustain you, but that's only in case you haven't yet found an alpha willing to mate and marry you, which I doubt very much. During those two months, you will be accommodated here in the palace's service quarters, in the rooms you've claimed upon arrival, after which you'll also have to find some other place to live."

Jared hoped there was still one room left for him, but he was more worried about the delay. Two months seemed an awfully short time to meet someone and mate them. Or to overcome one alpha's incomprehensible resistances. He'd better start right now to look for a job and someplace to live. Somewhere far from the Intendant who, by his own attitude, looked like the kind of guy who didn't understand that no meant no.

"As for meeting the alphas," Sheppard went on, the naughty grin on his face mirrored in his voice, "everything will be done to put you in contact while chaperoning you. Several balls are already scheduled, the first one being tomorrow evening, after a good night of sleep so that you can appear at your prettiest, all pampered and dressed up. There you'll meet the alphas, but also other omegas that have been here longer than you and will be able to help you and share advice about the life in the Islands."

Or do their best to undermine the competition's chances, Jared thought unkindly. Those omegas just couldn't be happy to see more contenders arrive and maybe sweep away the alphas they had set their eyes on. The same way Jared hoped to see Jensen again on this occasion, but he didn't know how he would handle witnessing his alpha dancing or laughing with another pretty omega face. He felt himself ready to strike whoever would try to touch his mate.

Sheppard held forth much longer, spouting big words about family and work to the increasingly distracted omegas. Jared tuned him out after a while, images of Jensen far more appealing than the rotund lord. His alpha had such pretty lips. And the deep green of his eyes was incredibly captivating.

When finally Sheppard left, a few waiters came in, bringing supper. Jared wasn't exactly hungry but he didn't care to stick out already after his late arrival, and his body did require sustenance. Not to mention that the food here was a huge improvement compared to the meager rations of dry meat and squashy biscuits, forced down their throat with goat milk or warm beer, that the omegas had lived on during the trip.

He had hoped to finally enjoy solitude once in his bedroom, but Katie had other plans. Jared didn't have the heart to throw her out – she had been so nice to reserve for him the room next to hers – so he forced himself to listen to all her plans for the next day. She was in a chatty mood, excited about the upcoming ball, and she didn't realize until he couldn't hold back his yawns that Jared had hardly participated in the conversation.

Alone at last, Jared quickly disrobed. After so many weeks spent in a hammock, the firm mattress felt strange beneath his back when he lay. Then he closed his eyes and all sensations disappeared but for the feeling of Jensen's lips and hands on his skin.

//////////// 

_"Really, Jensen, you're so much like your father. The apple didn't fall far from the tree. You never think of me, you all use me and then discard me like I'm worth nothing. You will feel so sorry the day I die and you realize everything I do for this family. But it will be too late by then."_

_"So many dalliances, Jensen. So many trysts. If you think for one second that you'll be able to follow in your father's footsteps and find an omega like me who will raise your bastards, you've got another thing coming."_

_"I don't ever want to see this omega whore again in my home, Jensen, is that clear ? I can't stop you from fucking your way into this city's beds, any more than I did your father, but I won't have them under my roof."_

_"You're my little prince, Jensen, I love you so much and I don't know what I did to deserve such a perfect son, but I know nobody's good enough for you. Nobody will ever be. They're all fawning over your pretty face and your strong knot, but they don't know you like I do. They don't love you like I do."_

Jensen woke up, holding back a shout meant to push away the recollections of his teenage years, all those things he had fled, especially his possessive and vindictive o-dad.

He had expected the nightmares after the encounter with Jared. He had tried to make them less effective by working hard on the house, falling like a log on his bed at night, but the memories had worked through his exhaustion and woken him up at dawn.

It didn't help that he had slept inside tonight, to try and preserve any dignity he had left in the improbable case someone might have come around. He didn't think Jared would be foolhardy enough to do it, but Misha and his crazy ideas were never to be discounted, Jensen had learned this particular lesson a long time ago. So here he was, suffocating inside the bedroom and yearning for fresh air as well as oblivion.

He stood up, shakily, bared himself entirely, and then went to the balcony to sink into the hammock. He felt better instantly with the slight breeze cooling down his face and body.

His thoughts were turning back to the events of the previous day, to the perfect body of his alleged mate. The appeal was still there, the fiercest need he had ever experienced to love and worship, but also to take and own. Whenever he closed his eyes, Jared's scent was back in his nostrils, the taste of his slick on his tongue. Jensen felt his dick growing harder and harder as images of the omega offering himself filled his mind, his hungry lips, slim hips and gorgeous ass, the rim of his hole fluttering to give way to Jensen's fingers.

He wasn't proud of the despair his rejection had inflicted on Jared. He also remembered all too well his eyes full of hatred towards the alphas who had tried to rape him while he was still lost, still subjected to his own pheromones and unable to fight off the sailors in any efficient manner. Jensen felt guilty for the attack, although he knew he wouldn't have been able to resist the siren's song himself, had he stayed close enough to the omega to prevent the onslaught from happening at all. They would be mated by now, Jared becoming his slave in everything but the name.

In Jensen's opinion, omegas were better off without alphas to fuck them any way and any time they wanted, to dictate their lives often shortened by too many pregnancies. Jensen didn't intend to act like one of those would-be rapists any more than he thought he was mate material. He had too much baggage and just as many fears to overcome.

Still, his body didn't see it the same way, and it wouldn't fall back into sleep before Jensen came all over his stomach with thoughts of Jared taking his knot and loving it.

//////////// 

Jared woke up early, thanks to the sun illuminating his bedroom. He had left the blinds open and now enjoyed a lovely view of the tops of huge and very exotic trees.

For some reason, he just knew Jensen would love the view, too. He would have to bring him here someday, to ask if the same trees grew on his island, what kind of crops he cultivated on his plantation. He could also show him his casket, all the things the King and the Queen had deemed necessary for a marriage. He would take Jensen's hand and move them both to the bed, that small thing already ill-adapted for him, impossible for two full-grown men. He would beckon Jensen to lie on top of him and they would kiss for hours, tongues entwined, that hot and heavy feeling in Jared's gut overpowering them.

That feeling was there already, simmering constantly under the surface of Jared's skin and ready to ignite at the drop of a hat. At the first, much-desired touch of Jensen's hands.

Jared had never much fantasized about having sex. It was supposed to be an irresistible force taking him to his mate to offer his body, his womb, a pleasant act to share that would enhance their love.

He had just discovered that it was something to desire for itself, that there were no words to describe the raging need taking you over in the presence of your alpha, burning low in his absence, body waiting for him.

There was no comparison with the way Pellegrino had made him feel. The mere memory of One-Leg watching his naked body recalled that same painful feeling. So dirty.

He was dirty. He needed to wash the grime of the trip, to ready his body to meet Jensen again. No wonder his alpha had rejected him. Jared would have realized earlier he needed to wash if his pheromones hadn't concealed the smell of the filth covering all his skin. But then, he had been so overwhelmed that nothing had registered to him beyond the presence of his mate. He felt a blush spreading over his face at the thought of all the people he had seen last night, who had probably smelled more that he had been willing to say.

Jared ditched his night clothes swiftly, letting all garments fall on the floor. Now that he had made his decision, he had to act on it in the moment. The soap provided by the palace was nicely scented, sure to make the hated odors glued to him disappear. One-Leg and his sailors would cease to exist for him after their smell had vanished.

He began scrubbing himself, almost raw. Pretty much all of Jensen's particular scent had evaporated during the night, but Jared's nose seemed to find it everywhere, in the most innocuous smell arising from his skin, erasing the one of his potential rapists.

He didn't stop before he was finished, his skin smarting in some places given the force he had used on himself. Then a glimpse of his ribs in the mirror caught his eyes.

He was skinny. He knew the meager rations onboard were not enough for a man of his size, calculated to fit an omega child at best, but he hadn't realized how much weight the trip had cost him. Confinement and lack of regular exercising had also taken their toll, turning his skin sallow and dry. Once again, no wonder Jensen had rejected him. Nothing in his body, even now clean and good-smelling, would attract an alpha such as the gorgeous man Jared had fallen in love with the very second their eyes had met.

Jared remained there, still looking at his naked self in the mirror. He felt… different. He just couldn't process everything that had happened to him in the course of… what ? ten, fifteen minutes at most. The bliss of his alpha caressing him, taking possession of his body. And then the vile hands of his abusers trying to do the same, to erase his memories of love. Jared still felt protected by those memories. While his misadventure had left him angry and more than a bit scared, something in him couldn't be bothered that much by the two sailors, a tension readying his body for mating, still there, unfulfilled, pushing him to look for his alpha without delay, to offer himself again without shame, until the moment Jensen would accept his gift and gain them both the bliss they deserved.

Because Jared just couldn't imagine any other outcome. He would be Jensen's someday, and Jensen would be his.

He would seduce his mate, beginning today.

//////////// 

A tour of the omegas' new hometown was organized that morning to show its main parts and the more important shops. Listening with one ear to Katie's chatter and the other to their guide, Jared was surprised by the sheer size of such a recent city, whose building had begun less than a century ago. According to the beta accompanying them, as few as one hundred settlers had come in the first fifty years or so. The irresistible growth had begun when the King had granted concession of some of the islands, and even more with the arrival of the first omega contingents. The army had also been very good for development, needing particular stuff that wasn't offered before, therefore attracting new kinds of workers and merchants in its wake.

Ismia now looked pretty much like any city of the old world – just a little bit rougher around the edges, not yet polished by hundreds of years of civilization – until you came face to face with some peculiar specimen of the local wildlife, or the very occasional native from the neighboring continent strolling down the street. Their guide explained that, contrary to the mainland, pretty much everyone here spoke standard, because a huge majority of settlers had come from regions where standard was already the norm, instead of regional dialects, but also because Intendant Sheppard had made it a law. It was indeed easier to apply the "ignorance of the law is no excuse" rule when one understood what was asked of them and what was forbidden.

They kept seeing proof of Sheppard's hand in the making of the city. His name was cited regularly, be it as the designation of some official place (Jared fully intended to visit the Sheppard's Islands library as soon as possible), a street name (the longest and most glamorous paved street, leading from the palace to the town center, bordered with elegant mansions that belonged to the wealthiest citizens), or the signature at the bottom of many a poster displayed on official billboards around the city to announce new events or modifications to the city's rules. The man was everywhere and it felt, somehow, as if the Intendant was able to follow you and know your deepest secrets.

His personal police definitely had something to do with this feeling, too. The alphas were easily recognizable, with their black outfits and their sinister, inquiring faces. They were most seen in the beautiful streets, the posh quarters, taking care of the richest citizens first, friends of the Intendant or influential alphas who enjoyed being treated like royalty. Probably bankers and politicians, judges and lawyers, landlords and big landowners, lenders and thieves. All those who chose to make money out of the hard work of the small settlers. Jared wasn't naïve enough to imagine that things were different here on this account.

All in all, the city was beautiful and lively, all the more welcoming thanks to the fact that it was still at the building stage and ready to offer a place inside its walls to anyone daring enough to reach for it. Among the crowd of varied people walking the busy streets – some with sidewalks and some not, some showing pavement and some plain ground – Jared thought he could feel secure wandering such a city in search of a job, waiting for the next opportunity to see his alpha.

But maybe it was just the call of the mating, the deep-seated need to find his alpha again. Maybe he was just a fool in love who would see beauty in a garbage dump.

//////////// 

Deciding what to wear for what was basically his first date with his alpha had to be Jared's equivalent of Hercules' first labor. He was not vain, had been told more than once that he was very good-looking – would have been perfect if he wasn't so darn tall ! – and never really went out of his way to modify his appearance in order to seduce someone.

But here he was today, his whole meager wardrobe on display to try and find _the_ outfit guaranteed to enthrall a difficult alpha. It was a lost cause.

For the first time, he had let Katie apply make-up to his face. The black border outlining his eyes had surprised him, deepening his gaze. He couldn't believe he was looking at himself.

He looked… sultry, for lack of a better word. This was Katie's word, his friend obviously very satisfied with the result. She had concluded that Jared was going to seduce all those alphas and would be married by tomorrow night at the latest.

But Jared only wanted one alpha. He doubted that anyone would look at him next to his beautiful friend anyway. Katie had also gone all out, certain that making a remarkable first impression was the key to finding her mate, and she was riveting. Her long, smooth blond hair made her look like the angel she really wasn't, but the touch of mischief in her eyes gave away her true nature.

The Islands' dress code was much looser than what Jared had been used to in the capital. Here, the warmer temperatures just didn't allow for heavy fabrics and complete covering of the body. Here, stockings were often forgotten, baring legs from knee to foot, and omegas showing a bit of their upper torso were not judged immodest but practical.

Katie had decided to go with it, and of course managed to talk Jared into following her example. He felt a bit naked, and a lot self-conscious, not used to the sensation of the air freely stroking his calves, but it seemed quite ridiculous to worry about that when he had been seen entirely naked by at least four alphas in the last few weeks.

And still he was there, trying to decide if Jensen would prefer the blue breeches on him, or maybe the wine-red ones. The deep green outfit could match his mate's eyes, but he didn't much like the shirt coming with it because Jared felt, to his utter shame, that it was not close-fitting enough to show off his lean chest, and too long to leave his ass in view and tempt Jensen.

He had marveled at the fine clothing hidden into his casket, and rejoiced in the knowledge that he could keep them all even if he didn't find a husband. The hour spent at the tailor to get his body measured had been fruitful. It was part of the King and Queen's gift and Jared felt truly grateful in this moment, for he had never possessed so many garments of sturdy quality, custom-made for his unusual size. He would have to make sure they lasted long. There were also soft leather shoes, more useful in the sometime muddy streets of Ismia than his old espadrilles, holding his feet better than any clog Jared had ever used to work in the garden at the orphanage.

Even the undergarments were of much better quality than his usual ones. They were tight. So tight Jared had blushed at the mere sight of himself in the mirror. At the mere thought of Jensen seeing him like this, his genitals drawn so precisely by the light cotton of the fabric molding to his body like second skin, more and more so as Jared watched himself harden, the head of his cock threatening to escape the confines of the underwear.

Most of Jared's new possessions still lay on the bed. Curiosity had been too overwhelming to be denied, especially when Jared had found himself with too much free time after the visit of the city and the light brunch back at the palace's service quarters. It had helped him for a little while to forget about his mate and the need to be touched by him again soon.

His bedroom was nice, probably too hot in summer, being just under the roof, but clean and well furnished. It was also small, and Jared had quickly felt a bit claustrophobic. Opening the casket had helped him think of something else.

According to Katie, the rest of the content was standard items that you could find in any other trunk. Some kitchen utensils, various shades of colored yarn as well as sewing and knitting needles, knitting wool and crochet hooks, feeding bottles… It might have been standard fair for an omega looking to start a family, but it was all good quality, better than most young couples could afford when they settled.

Jared only had to change Jensen's mind to start using all this stuff.

//////////// 

Jared and Katie were escorted into the ballroom by a very formal servant. They both stood gaping at the sumptuous decoration, almost afraid to go in, as if feeling that they didn't belong to such a place and there had to be some mistake. But the door had closed behind them, giving them no option but to go on, and once again Katie was the first to recover. She took Jared's arm and led him inside the room, and then another valet promptly showed them to the right side where the omegas attendants had gathered.

Jared almost tripped when his nose alerted him to the presence of the only person he was waiting for. Jensen was here, but he couldn't see where yet. He hardly heard a fellow omega grumbling behind him that he couldn't see any more with the freak standing there. He was far too focused on finding his mate in the throng of alphas situated on the other side of the room, guarded by a few beta servants to force them to behave.

His eyes finally met Jensen's above the head of an aging alpha who was probably twice a widower already. The contrast was so striking between the two men that Jared broke into a huge smile, instantly mirrored by Jensen although it was doubtful he understood the cause of Jared's mirth. Jensen's smiling face was even more alluring, a few crinkles appearing at the corner of his eyes that had Jared melting a little bit more. He didn't thought it was possible.

Sheppard appeared at the top of the marble stairway, dressed like the previous evening in a black ensemble, but this one shouted to the world his fortune and stature. Silver buckles on shiny shoes and rings of gold and diamond on his fingers gave the finishing touch to a silky half-coat worn above black breeches and stockings. He looked magnificent and knew it.

The Intendant went down a few steps but cunningly remained on the fifth one, and thus managed to loom over the whole assembly, including Jared who would normally tower so high over him. He opened his arms in a welcoming gesture, turning towards one group then the other.

"Dear friends, strong alphas and sweet omegas, let this be an enchanting evening for us all. We welcome tonight a new o-contingent, freshly arrived from our beloved mainland, who will, I am sure, become productive members of our society in the very near future. In the meanwhile, alphas, remember that our King's love has followed those girls and boys over the sea to assist them in creating the perfect family they've always dreamed of. He loves them enough to call them his sons and daughters. So treat them like you would your omega parents or siblings. Be respectful and let your heart speak. Omegas, stay mindful of your reputation, but use these opportunities offered by our great King to meet the men and women who are changing our world, as they need your love and your help to face up to adversity."

Jared's attention went back to his alpha. Jensen was not very discreetly rolling his eyes at the pompous speech. Sensing Jared staring at him, he grinned again and winked at him. Jared had to cover his laughter under a false cough to avoid offending the Intendant who was, fortunately, getting to the end of his address.

"You may now meet in the middle."

It seemed to be the established expression. Sheppard was hardly finished that the alphas were moving, advancing towards the omegas like a tidal wave threatening to engulf them all. The senior alpha standing in front of Jensen had clearly mistaken Jared's smiles for a mark of interest. Wide-eyed, Jared watched him getting closer before Jensen saved him once again, passing the old man to snatch Jared's hand and lead him away.

Jared felt electrified. His fingers closed around Jensen's, gripping too tightly, but Jensen didn't protest.

It was that same feeling he had reveled in the previous night, only muted by the fact that there were too many people around them. Jared was also hyper-conscious of the fact that Jensen didn't want him that way, even though his own body was consumed by the need to surrender every desire, every dream that wasn't focused on his alpha, to become entirely Jensen's.

"What would you like to do first ? Have a drink, dance… ?"

"A drink would be nice," Jared answered, not sure what he had said exactly, still unable to take his eyes off of his mate.

His memory had done Jensen a disservice : the man was even more gorgeous than he remembered. Jared wished alphas would wear close-fitting breeches, like omegas, to be able to see his body more clearly. But even so, Jensen was outshining everyone in the ballroom. His blue-green outfit matched Jared's, and it could also compete with Sheppard's in terms of quality and price. It seemed that Jared's mate was wealthy as well as beautiful.

Jensen took him to the bar, tugging with the hand Jared was still clutching hard.

"Can I make a suggestion ? Have you already tried the drink some people here prepare with the fruit of the tinelleer ?"

"Tinelleer ? No, I've never heard of it. But I'll trust you if you think it's good."

"The drink's called tinel, and I think it's a good alternative to the tinted water omegas are always served. Lightly alcoholic but nothing to get you drunk, and it leaves a pleasant taste in your mouth."

Jensen asked the beta waiter for two tinels. The man acted swiftly and then offered the alpha and the omega their drinks and a smile, telling them to enjoy their time.

Jared took a first sip with deliberate slowness to roll the liquid around his mouth, sampling the taste and texture, and came up with a moan. This was delicious !

"That's the nectar of the gods !"

"Maybe not exactly," Jensen laughed, "but certainly close enough, and the Intendant generally knows the good stuff, we can trust his bar at events like this one."

Jared enjoyed another, much bigger sip and thought this night could only get better if Jensen took him to a private room and made love to him. Instead, they ended up on a balcony where everyone could see them but the noise was much reduced.

"Maybe we could introduce ourselves properly this time," Jensen proposed with a self-deprecating smile. "I'm Jensen Ackles, farmer on one of the Visnian Islands. Glad to meet you."

Jared was stunned to see Jensen offer his hand to shake, as if Jared was another alpha, someone worthy of the salute of equal people. He raised his own hand slowly, sure somehow that it was a joke, that Jensen was going to take his away at the last second with a laugh and a "Gotcha !" that would make Jared feel so bad that he didn't think he could prevent tears from falling again.

But Jensen's hand stayed where it was, and it wrapped around Jared's in a way no one else's had ever done.

"Jared Padalecki," he managed to say, "former teacher, but ready for whatever job I'll have to do here. Glad to meet you too."

Jensen was of course the first one to take his hand back.

"How are you doing ?" Jared asked. "And what about your fists ? They were pretty bloody after you saved me."

"It's getting better. I can't really draw right now, but I can take it for a few days."

"You draw ?"

"Yes, and I love painting too. As a matter of fact, I was on my way to get more painting stuff I had ordered from the mainland when we bumped into each other."

"So you're a farmer for a living, and an artist for pleasure."

"Exactly. Though farming, for all the hard work it means, is also quite rewarding. I can't tell you how it felt the first time I saw the seeds I had planted turn into full crop, when my first harvest was sold. I had to learn a lot to get there, and I sweated blood on that ground, but I was so proud of my successful first attempt."

"I would have been too ! So you weren't always a farmer ?"

"Definitely no. I was born and raised in Tethreya, as far from working the soil as possible, nothing but a pencil-pusher. I was not satisfied with that life, though, so I decided to take a chance here, to try and change my life for the better."

"Is it ? Better, I mean ?"

"It is the best ! Every day I can see the results of my work. Well, maybe not every day, but often enough to show me I'm doing something right. And it's a far more peaceful life than the one I used to live in Tethreya."

"So no regret ?"

"No regret. Apart from the fact that alphas and omegas are the same in Ismia as on the mainland, or anywhere else for that matter, life is sweet here. I don't have to force myself to deal with people I dislike, alone on my island."

"I'm sorry if you felt obligated to come here for me tonight."

"Don't be, I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want to. You, or most other omegas, are not the issue. I'm just… let's say that I don't fit into our society's rules, and it's never been my ambition to become one of those pontificating alphas so sure of their own worth and importance that they come before everything and everyone else. Maybe I'm biologically predisposed to dominate, but it doesn't mean I have to. And it certainly doesn't imply that I'm better than omegas and betas. You, omega Jared Padalecki, are as important as me, alpha Jensen Ackles. You should be allowed to do everything you wish for, considered as an adult, able to own and possess in your own name, even if you're mated. That's my credo, and it often ostracizes me from my fellow alphas when I speak plainly. Even from omegas, who have heard too many times that they're not worth enough to try to rise above the destiny they've been offered."

Jared was dumbstruck. Of course, he hadn't met that many alphas, but he had never heard about any of them thinking that way, not even from someone mocking their belief and concluding that this person was not a real alpha, probably one of those inverted attracted to their own gender. He could see how Jensen would seek loneliness rather than mockery if such were his convictions.

Jared's mate was the perfect alpha, and he didn't want Jared.

"Well," he finally managed to say, "if you're trying to drive me away by saying all this, let me be very clear : it won't work. On the contrary, it makes you all the more attractive to me."

"Jared…"

"I know, you don't want to get mated. But maybe we can be friends first. I trust an alpha and an omega can be friends for you, after the opinion you just confessed to ?"

"I'd like very much to be your friend, Jared."

Jensen offered his hand once again, to seal the deal, and Jared grabbed it with enthusiasm. The same enthusiasm they both showed when a clapping preceded the first notes of the orchestra and Jensen invited Jared to the dance floor.

Jared forgot for a while that his mate didn't want him as Jensen took him on a merry round, full of laughter and bumping into other dancers. They would need a lot of training to become good at this, but Jared had never laughed so much or so freely.

//////////// 

Matlin Ackles was a hugely wealthy, mostly self-made man. As much as Jensen had tried to fight his influence, the Ackles patriarch had passed on to his first born the same need to create and master. But where this disposition extended in Matlin's case to all the people surrounding him, Jensen had never felt the need to command or coerce those who made a living thanks to his money, any more than he did his family. He took pride in seeing any person who had come to him with a half-thought idea thrive after receiving the means and advice they needed to give life to their projects.

Jensen had first come to the Islands to set the new bank the settlers needed so badly. The previous one, owned by another clan, had flopped entirely due to not enough activity and probably bad management. The Ackles, being well at court, had been offered to create something new. Jensen had begged his father to let him handle the job, already sensing, confusedly, that this place held some kind of answer to all the questions he lived with. Of course, he had only told his father – and his o-dad, to avoid a scene – that it would be a fantastic experience for his future life, as a banker and as Alpha to the huge Ackles clan. Privately, he couldn't help imagining that settling so far away from his family would permit him at last to live his own life.

Not a lot of people knew of Jensen's current ties with the main bank of the Visnian Islands : namely, the Intendant and two employees of the bank. Those who knew him of course linked his name to the one of the bank ; some maybe thought he was a kind of consultant due to the fact that he was the boss's son, but it didn't mean that they had a way to know that he was still the director, and the one with the last say in any matter. To avoid being discovered, Jensen had sat in his chair at the bank a very able beta, who knew where her allegiances should go and did a wonderful job with the Ackles' money, as well as helping the settlers who asked for funding and delays.

The Omega Fund was Jensen's idea entirely. It stemmed from the shock Jensen had felt with all the o-contingents that had disembarked during his first stay in Ismia, standing as a witness to the way these men and women were treated for the most part, slaves to the government's rule as well as to the alphas. Those who didn't catch Sheppard's eye could consider themselves lucky, as they didn't have to plot constantly to escape the Intendant. Many had to accept the first marriage offer they got if they didn't want to end on the street two months after their arrival, at the mercy of any alpha taking a fancy to them, who didn't see why they should offer marriage when they could have them for nothing.

Jensen's sense of fairness had forced him to act. He was in a unique position, one of the few alphas to understand that they were taking advantage of the other genders without giving much back, and also one of the few people rich enough and willing to use his money to create a better world, one person at a time. With the help of a padre – sadly dead since then, the current one, Padre Lehne, being a lot less comprehensive to the omegas' fate – he had first opened a shelter for omegas on a remote island bought in the bank's name, where no one would go and look for them. There, the omegas forced into prostitution could take the time to heal and decide what to do next with their lives, if they wanted to go back to the mainland or stay in the Islands. Then Jensen, knowing well that such situations would only repeat themselves again and again if nobody did anything about it, had tried to think of a way to entice the alphas into marriage. He had to find a better incentive than this pitiful casket and the fifty piasters Sheppard always tried to keep for himself. Thus the Omega Fund came to life.

The idea was pretty simple, and presented just as simply to the interested alphas : marry and respect your omega mate and _they_ would get financial help with preferential rates. All paperwork established in the omega's name, the contract would be severed in case of a divorce. Then the separated alpha settlers could still apply for a loan, but they would get it at the common rate and with the usual fees attached to such transactions. No favor, no negotiation.

It was still not perfect, but Jensen had been able to measure how much the O-Fund had helped and he was proud of it. His goal was not to force people into loveless marriages, but as long as their society would consider the omegas as negligible entities outside of mating, something had to be done to make them visible and important. Valued for something else than their reproductive capacities.

Still, he felt a bit of a hypocrite now, after rejecting the omega claiming that he was the one for Jensen. He had watched Jared closely, listened to him, smelled his scent, and he could find no treachery. Jared was speaking the truth as he saw it, and yet Jensen wasn't convinced. The physical attraction was here, for sure, the need to fuck and own, the easy camaraderie that made Jared's company a pleasure rather than a duty. But that was that. There was nothing in him of the encompassing pull Jared had answered to when he had disrobed for his mate. And Jensen didn't know if it was because they were not meant to be or because he was too broken, too closed-off to omegas after his own past, to recognize the signs.

He almost never went to the balls, unless Sheppard or Morgan accosted him directly in Ismia to remind him of his duty to the Islands and pretty much ordered him to show his face at the next event. His pretty, unmated alpha face. Neither of those men got that Jensen didn't intend to mate, now or ever. They could only think that a twenty-five-year-old alpha needed heirs as soon as possible, and since Jensen didn't have a lot of glamorous choice, so far from the mainland, any potential mate out of the omega contingent should do the trick.

Jensen begged to differ. Any omega would be better than most of the rich boys and girls he had grown up with, spoiled little things who wouldn't raise one finger to work if their lives depended on it. Jensen had always felt closer to any hard-working person, whatever their gender, than the so-called elite, the idle young people waiting for a rich alpha to mate them.

His protective instincts were the main reason Jensen had decided to show up at Jared's first ball in Ismia. Of course, his dick was very much in tune with the idea of coming – no pun intended – next to the omega again, but Jensen mostly wanted to make sure the young man was better than the previous day, acclimating well to this new life and getting over this instant crush induced by his biology.

Those same instincts were also the reason he decided not to show at the next ball. Jared needed to look for someone else, and he wouldn't do it if Jensen was constantly around to mask the view.

If Jensen didn't like the thought of Jared offering to someone else the gift Jensen had refused, well, it was his problem to deal with and he had already had worse in his life.

//////////// 

Being the Intendant of a constantly growing colony far from everything was both an honor and an absorbing job. You had to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds, keep everyone satisfied that could be of help while at the same time be very clear that you were the only one in charge. Everything not readily available in the Islands had to be imported at great costs and sometimes engendered a lot of troubles.

Omegas were no trouble. Easily impressed, and even more easily subdued after the initial protests, they were Sheppard's biggest temptation, the one little weakness he indulged in with glee and never-ending appetite.

Sheppard always managed to take the time out of his extremely busy schedule to inspect a new contingent as closely as possible. In the days following their arrivals, all omegas were due for a sanitary inspection by a beta doctor paid directly by the Intendant. This examination took place in the palace of course, in a dedicated room that Sheppard had had modified to let him watch. Three of the four walls were covered with long and heavy hangings of a very dark coloring, hiding the holes in the plaster but allowing see-through thanks to their coarse-textured canvas. Thus any person standing in the dark hallway surrounding the three walls was indeed able to see everything happening during the examination.

Doctor Benedict was under strict orders to have the omegas undress completely from the instant they came in, and to keep them in this state until they were to leave. He also had to oblige them to take any and all positions needed to expose them just as completely. To make it as real as possible, blood was examined, as well as urine ; chest, genitals, and ass closely inspected to ensure the alphas of the good hygiene and healthy condition of the new contingent. Omegas were too shamefaced, and sometimes too turned-on, especially in the case of male omegas unused to having their dick touched by someone else, to dare to protest. Sheppard could often predict which ones would come before the end of the examination, adding to their own shame. As for those who managed to resist, Sheppard made use of a small bell to warn the doctor that he had to take measures, like ordering an examination of the ejaculate, in case he wanted to see the boy coming.

This inspection was only the first phase of a seduction plan that had Sheppard feeling like a snake patiently ensnaring its prey before jumping on it. Next would come the eye-to-eye meeting, and then the actual seducing.

Sheppard was not a bad guy, he didn't want to spoil any alpha of the rightful pleasure of being the first to take their mate. Nor did he want to take the risk of possibly getting an unmated omega pregnant. Being himself already mated, while he didn't really care what anyone would think, should the omega be stupid enough to create a scandal, he didn't appreciate the perspective of his mate potentially making his life a living hell.

That's the reason why he had honed his techniques since the first contingent had disembarked. He would choose the omegas worthy of his time, have a little tumble in the hay before their mating, enough to make them ashamed of themselves but nothing to compromise their chances at marrying, then reappear in their lives once they were not virgins anymore. A simple blackmail always got the better of their misgivings, reminding them that Sheppard had been the one to stop that first time, not the other way around, which meant the omega had been more than willing. Of course, in case Sheppard was really seduced by one particular omega, this delicious encounter presented him with more blackmail material for future unofficial dates. Life in the Islands was sweet like that.

Right now, watching the Padalecki boy – this heady mix of a big body and omega weakness – turn and bend to obey the doctor's orders, exposing himself entirely with a deep blush to the doctor and unknowingly to Sheppard's hungry eyes, the Intendant knew he had found his next prey.

//////////// 

The evening was losing any interest it might have presented earlier as the hours passed and it became clear that Jensen wouldn't show up this time. The disappointment Jared felt was a living pain in his chest, turning breathing into a labor, tears threatening to fall in the middle of the ballroom where, thankfully, no one else seemed to notice him.

It had been five days since he last saw Jensen, and Jared felt like running around the town and checking every island to find him, obeying this forceful pull that had him dreaming of his mate at night and yearning for his proximity all day.

It didn't help that he had had words with an omega for shaking Jensen's hand. The other man, who had been in Ismia for more than eight months, had berated him, probably jealous that such a gorgeous alpha had shown his interest in Jared, insinuating that Jensen wasn't addressing him as an equal but that he just didn't want to kiss his hand. Although Katie hadn't seen the hand-shaking, she had defended Jared fiercely when he had been too afraid it was the truth to reply.

"How come a beautiful boy like you is still alone ? Are all those alphas blind ?"

Jared turned towards the voice and recognized Lord Sheppard, standing a few feet away from him in another black-only outfit and the smug grin that seemed to be his default expression.

"I guess I'm not entertaining enough, my Lord. Or not appealing enough."

"Nonsense ! You're the most beautiful thing I see in this room, and the fact that you remain poised and discreet speaks highly of your good breeding. In other words, my dear, you're a catch and I'd mate you in a heartbeat if I wasn't already taken."

"You're too kind, but in fact I'm only interested in one alpha and it seems he wasn't able to make an appearance tonight."

Jared couldn't help taking a quick look at the whole ballroom in the hope that Jensen had arrived.

"Well this is his loss. Tell me his name and I'll have him there next time, you can be sure of it."

"I don't want to get him in trouble, my Lord. Forget my words, I wasn't thinking."

"Don't worry, I understand alphas can be stupid at times, or even too shy. I promise he's not in trouble."

"Thank you," Jared said, relieved.

For all he wanted to see Jensen, he knew forcing his hand would not help in the end.

"You're very welcome. I'll always be there to take care of you, lovely boy. If your alpha continues to prove stupid and forgetful, come to me."

Sheppard took Jared's hand and raised it to his lips for a lingering kiss.

Jared was stunned. He certainly hadn't seen the proposition coming. He wanted to take his hand back right now but didn't dare offending the most powerful man of the Islands. His touch felt slimy, disgusting just like the sailors' or One-Leg's had been.

"Intendant," a deep voice saluted Lord Sheppard next to Jared's right ear, "my respects".

His eyes met those of a tall alpha, a man well in his forties but still incredibly handsome and possessing a natural self-assurance that had Jared immediately envious.

"Commandant," Sheppard answered with a short nod, "allow me to introduce you to Jared Padalecki, one of the omegas freshly arrived from the mainland. Jared, this is Commandant Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the highest-ranking officer in the Islands. He is the most important person here, after me of course."

"His lordship is too kind," the commandant said, asking for Jared's hand, which had the good side-effect to force Sheppard into releasing it.

Jared smiled at the officer to convey his thanks. Maybe he was only going from the frying pan into the fire, but the commandant looked a lot more honest and trustworthy than the Intendant. And maybe it was the uniform, but he was also very alluring and his kiss on Jared's hand didn't feel oppressive.

"Jared, welcome to the Island. We're lucky to have people like you deciding to give us a chance, and I hope we'll do everything we can to make you feel at home."

"Thanks, Commandant. I like what I've seen so far, and I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I find my place here."

"Please, call me Jeffrey. Here in these shindigs, I'm not a military man, just an alpha seeking the pleasure of a more-refined omega company. After a while, the soldiers' minds tend to seem very limited, even to someone like me who's spent his whole life at war around the world."

"Are we at war in the Islands, Commandant ?"

"Not at all," Morgan replied with a smile. "But the King wished for a military presence in the colony, and it was time for me to leave the exciting expeditions to younger alphas. I'm happier than ever that our sovereign thought of me for this mission when I see you."

Jared was at a loss for words. He had never had someone flirt with him so blatantly and so quickly before. Not even Jensen… no, better not to dwell on his alpha again tonight, the thought was too depressing. At least the alpha standing in front of him looked like he was having a great time, happy to be with him.

"And you haven't met the whole contingent yet," Sheppard interrupted. "Recruiters on the mainland have done a great job this time, as you will see. Jared, I was about to offer you a drink…"

"Then I shall accompany Jared to the bar while you answer to duty's call, my Lord. I came here as a messenger, your secretary is looking for you."

Sheppard frowned in annoyance, but the three men could see said secretary on the ballroom's threshold, waiting impatiently for his master. It could only mean a matter of importance needed Sheppard's attention at the very moment.

"Duty's indeed calling," Sheppard sighed, raising Jared's hand again to his lips for a last, goodbye kiss. "Until next time, my dear."

Jared and the commandant watched him disappear into a part of the palace Jared didn't know, his secretary close on his heels to give him a report. Then, with a satisfied smile, the commandant offered his arm to Jared and led him to the bar. Without consulting Jared, he asked the waiter for a glass of tinted water for the omega and a whiskey for himself. It told a lot already about the kind of alpha _Jeffrey_ really was, used to giving orders and being obeyed. It was a common trait in an alpha's nature, enhanced by Morgan's rank, and the position he enjoyed in their community meant that it had only been made worse by all the sycophants looking to be in his good graces.

Still, Jared guessed it was better than Sheppard. The Intendant wouldn't have asked either, and he probably would have tried to get Jared drunk to take him to bed by the end of the ball.

The commandant led Jared away from the bar after the last taste of his whiskey.

"Now that we're refreshed, let's get better acquainted, without the Intendant to disturb our conversation. Then I hope you'll give me the pleasure of the next dance."

"What do you want to talk about ?"

"Tell me about your trip, or maybe your first impression of the Islands."

"The trip was quite awful, stuck in one room for more than two months with fifty other omegas. And my first impression of Ismia was to be attacked by two sailors, saved only by the intervention of alpha Ackles, who had the men disposed of in no time."

"Dear gods, I'm glad he was there for you. He's a good, caring man, I'm not surprised he came to your aid. So even if that first impression left a lot to be desired, at least you were saved by a local, while the attack came from outlanders."

"You're right, and I don't know how to repay my debt to him."

"I'm sure he doesn't see it as a debt, but rather as his duty as an alpha to help omegas and children in their times of need. Just like any military man would do."

Just then, the first notes of the next dance were heard above the noisy chatter of the room. Once again, the commandant didn't wait for Jared's reaction to take his hand and lead him to the dancing area.

Jared found himself closer than he wished to the domineering alpha. This dance was nothing like the ones Jensen and he had enjoyed, laughing all along like naughty teenagers in love. The commandant used this excuse for proximity as a way to touch and smell him that bordered on inappropriate but never crossed the line. Jared felt out of his depth, but not necessarily in a bad way.

One dance turned into two, then five. They exchanged very few words, the commandant's eyes on Jared as intense and inescapable as his hand on the small of Jared's back.

The orchestra took another break after a while and it was time again for a drink for Jared and his dancing partner. Another tinted water and a second whiskey later, the commandant proposed to Jared to show him the better view from the roof of the palace. They both needed a bit of fresh air after two hours in the overheated air of the ballroom, so Jared accepted.

The view was indeed stunning, the sun setting over the large expanse of the lake reflecting the rich colors of the trees. There was no such big pond in the city Jared came from, Tethreya was invaded by houses and huge buildings. Nature had been dwarfed by men there, but here it was back to the forefront and it felt right to him.

"Tell me something about yourself," Commandant Morgan interrupted his thoughts. "What brought you here, for example."

"I'm not very different than the other omegas on this account."

The commandant chuckled while he took Jared's hand in his again. He began to sweep his thumb over his palm in a soothing gesture that made all of Jared's internal alarms flare up.

"I guess, of course, that you wanted to marry, but maybe you're looking for something or someone special. Someone adventurous as well as stable and strong. Tell me, sweetheart."

"Sweetheart ? I'm not really into that kind of endearment, you know. I'm too old, or too tall, and really not _your_ sweetheart."

"Very well. I'll try to keep from using the terms of endearment, for now. But it's only because you inspire them that I want to call you sweet names."

"Which means you really don't know me. I'm not sweet, and don't try to be."

"I'm only asking for the opportunity to know you better. I suggest a supper, the two of us without all the fuss going around here. I know this little, very good restaurant where they serve only Islands food. It would present you with a great opportunity to discover what a resourceful omega can create to feed their family with the local flora and fauna. What do you say ?"

He would have jumped on the offer if only Jensen had been the one inviting him. Now, his first idea was to refuse, to tell the doting commandant that he was not interested in him in the slightest and that he would not succumb to his seducing attempts.

But he hadn't come here to stay locked inside his room, waiting for love and a willing alpha to knock on his door. He wanted to have fun and gather wonderful memories to contemplate when he was old and alone. Going to a supper didn't mean that he had to agree to anything else.

"I say it's a great idea. When will you take me there ?"

"The regiment's leaving town tomorrow for a few days. We're doing reconnaissance in a few remote, virgin islands, but I'll send a note as soon as we're back. I promise we'll have a great time."

The commandant raised Jared's hand to his mouth, and although subtlety certainly wasn't the officer's middle name – virgin _islands_ , of course – Jared couldn't help shivering when several kisses and a thick salt-and-pepper beard caressed his palm.

//////////// 

"Should I send beta Abel in, Commandant ? I can wake him up for you."

"No, not tonight. I'm going to sleep."

"Very well. Good night, Commandant."

"Good night, Captain. Oh, Richings, before I forget, I want you to reserve the best table at the Djindilo for me in two weeks' time."

"Which day exactly ?"

"Every one, in case we're back later than expected from the mission."

"Table for two, I presume ?"

"Absolutely. And I want the whole gamut : candles, music, aphrodisiac food… I'll bring my date back here after dinner, so have the mansion on very light guard duty that night. I will not be disturbed for any reason, is that clear ?"

"Yes, Commandant."

The smile on Richings' face indicated clearly what the man was thinking : his commanding officer had chosen his next one-night stand and he would suffer no interruption. Jeffrey didn't care to enlighten him, but the captain was wrong.

Jeffrey didn't need to go on a date to know that he had found his omega. The few moments spent together were enough to dispel any doubt.

Jared was not his true mate, that fact was well established in Jeffrey's mind, for he had met her when he was only sixteen. Passion had taken Jaime and him irresistibly and they had been happy for a few years. Then routine had settled, and although the sex was still phenomenal, Jeffrey had found himself more than happy to be able to leave time and again with his regiment. Jaime had brought up their many kids, until the alphas and betas were of age to think of a career and the omegas mated and pregnant, while Jeffrey sailed around the world, searching for new land to gain for his King and pretty omegas to bed for himself. Along the road, he had fathered quite a few children all around the known world. He had lived a charmed life, putting to good use his vast array of skills and taking what he wanted to increase his fortune and reputation. Jaime had died three years ago, exhausted by too many pregnancies, and though he had mourned her deeply, he was now more than ready to take a new mate. He had an alpha heir and a lot of potentials to replace her in case of untimely death, all omegas mated to well-born families, staunch allies who would never dare do anything to displease Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Alpha of the almighty Morgan clan.

But even protected by a morganatic marriage, a lot of people – and his own children before anyone else – would criticize Jeffrey's choice. Compared to a Morgan, Jared was simply nothing. An orphan, he had learned in the notes sent from the mainland, probably born of the union of a peasant and a whore, insufferable burden to people on the brink of mendicancy. But no one would ever come forward to speak this out loud in front of the commandant of the Islands, and marrying a Morgan would also shut everyone up definitely in front of Jared. Those who used to mock the boy would bow before him after their marriage. Jared would love that, a revenge against fate, the power cruel enough to put an omega in a frame better suited for an alpha.

No, Jared wouldn't be well-received at first by his family, but Jeffrey longed for a companion by his side, someone he could talk to and make passionate love to at night.

True, Jared was nothing, but he had a body to damn a saint, and a presence to enthrall a sinner. He was still young and impressionable, conveniently tractable – beyond his amusing attempts at independency – to Jeffrey's desires and habits. Jared's shyness gave away his need to be mastered, and it would be Jeffrey's pleasure to teach him how to obey his alpha, in their lives and in their bed. At the same time, Jared would challenge him. He had already dragged Jeffrey out of the constant boredom of his life with his dimpled smile and sharp answers. Jeffrey couldn't wait to slide his hands into the boy's mane, to bend him over the nearest table and knot him for hours, to tame him with his mastery in all things sex-related, to see love and admiration shine in his eyes.

Of course, the boy had seemed a bit hesitant to accept his invitation to dinner. Maybe it was their age difference, or their social status, both so far apart. Jeffrey knew how intimidating he could be to his new recruits, no wonder a young omega who had never previously met any officer could feel overwhelmed by his attentions.

Or maybe it was alpha Ackles.

Day after day, Jeffrey's mirror never forgot to tell him that he was still a very attractive man. Attractive enough that the alpha in him knew he could have garnered as many victories in love games and wars had he been born a beta, lacking only the drive to seduce. But unlike the heinous stepmother of the famous fairytale, asking day after day who's the most beautiful woman in her kingdom, Jeffrey was secure enough in his power of seduction to recognize when he was bested by another alpha.

Jeffrey had feared a heart attack the day he first saw Jensen Ackles. His heart had skipped a few too many beats at his sight. He was beauty made man, the temptation any alpha wants to succumb to, a walking dream. But Jensen Ackles was also the biggest disappointment of his life : this siren was an alpha. However beautiful Jensen might be, Jeffrey had to ruthlessly squash any lingering trace of desire he felt for him. Easier said than done, of course, and for all he would never admit it, he still suffered now and then the effects of the attraction exuded by this gorgeous man.

It was inconvenient but normal that Jared, young and sweet Jared, was susceptible to that pull too. Nothing to be concerned about : Ackles' love life, even considering the possibility of abnormal discretion – alphas loved nothing more than to boast about their sexual conquests – seemed all but inexistent. With such a beautiful man, it could only mean that Ackles was not interested in mating and avoided voluntarily any dangerous activity leading to that fate. Jared wouldn't find in him the partner he needed. It was best then to let him face the disappointment and draw his own conclusions. The omega would soon turn to Jeffrey, Jeffrey who would always be the better choice.

Many Islanders wouldn't understand the commandant's choice any more than his family. Jeffrey would remind those who dared voicing their questions that he had to lead by example. The King wanted the regiment to settle in the Islands, and there was no better way to achieve this goal than to have the men and women planting roots here as they settled with their own families. There were also plenty of omegas not quite interested in farming who would enjoy being mated to a soldier a lot more. As the commanding officer, Morgan had to encourage the alphas to do their duty for the country and show everyone that the omegas sent from the main country were not whores but mating material. Jared would help him in this again. His charming manners would endear him quickly to the regiment and lift any veil of impropriety or indecency cast upon the omegas.

There was no reason to delay. Jeffrey Dean Morgan would ask Jared Padalecki for his hand during their next date. And then he would proceed to ravish him.

Sleep wasn't on his mind anymore, he needed something to alleviate the tension that had built in him with the thought of his omega. Dressed in his uniform breeches only, Jeffrey walked to his personal assistant's room. Jake was always a good diversion in these times. Coming from a miserable background just like Jared, he hadn't been abandoned, but the Abels had died when their beta son was still very young and there was little he could do but to accept his fate. Jake was a hard worker ; in bed, always ready and willing, he didn't mind a whole lot of rough. Young and relatively fun for a beta, he should get on well with Jared.

After the wedding, Jeffrey would have to be more secretive for a while with his other affairs, but Jared would learn soon that an alpha has needs, and that it was best turning a blind eye. Jake would also be a good teaching experience for him eventually, before Jared would be fucked, every time Jeffrey wanted to play, by other betas and omegas.

//////////// 

"Come in, boy. Sit down, and remind me how to pronounce your name."

Jared did as he was told, going inside as the door was closed behind him by a valet. Heading for a chair in front of the mahogany desk, he felt impressed in spite of himself, by the Intendant as well as his exquisitely-furnished office.

"I am Jared Padalecki, my Lord," Jared answered. "Can I ask, what is the purpose of this interview ?"

"Nothing of grave importance, be at ease. As the Intendant of the province, I like to take the time to meet all my fellow citizens when they need me. I made it my mission especially to get to know the omegas willing to leave the comfort of the main country to emigrate to our rougher land. To be honest, I was the one who asked the king to send us the first o-contingent, and all the others after that, because I knew omegas were the only thing that could make this place sweeter and have the population settle once and for all. Now I aim to find the best way to get y'all o-boys and o-girls married and happy. So tell me, how has your stay unfolded so far ? Is Ismia everything you wished for ?"

"I'm still very much at the first impression stage, but it seems like a great city, very buoyant, and really promising."

The Intendant reached for a big folder on his desk, opened it and consulted a document. Jared only had time to decipher his name, written in an elegant cursive script on top of the sheet of paper.

"Commandant Morgan passed me a note to say you had been attacked upon your arrival."

Jared was surprised that such a trivial incident had been reported to the head of the Islands' government. Surely, he was far from the only one to suffer that kind of trouble. Mugging and rape sadly had to happen on a regular basis, maybe even a daily one.

"That's true," he finally responded, "although nothing bad came out of it in the end, thanks to alpha Ackles, who happened to walk by and disbanded my aggressors. He was very helpful and kind."

"That's a relief. Lucky boy, you would be wise to cultivate alpha Ackles' friendship, he's a gentleman, an example for all settlers, and a figure in the Islands."

"I had no idea. I was so shocked after the attack that we never really introduced ourselves to each other before the first ball I attended."

The Intendant's eyes seem to narrow, to Jared's great confusion.

"Did I do something wrong ?"

"Not at all, boy. Let's get back to the matter at hand. Have you met someone worthy of your attention at the latest o-related events ?"

Jared hesitated but he couldn't seem to lie to the alpha, and then he had already more or less mentioned to Sheppard that he was waiting for someone special at the ball.

"I did meet someone that I'd like to know better."

Hopefully the Intendant would be happy with this answer.

"Is this the same alpha you were waiting for the other day at the ball, the one who never showed up ?"

Jared leaned down, trying to hide his face behind his bangs. It was more about sadness than shame.

"Jared, I don't want to make you feel like I've spied on you, but you have to know that news spreads fast in such a small community. Which means I'm very aware that your wandering, so-called mate is Jensen Ackles."

Jared gaped at the Intendant but no word managed to pass the barrier of his throat. For some reason, Sheppard knowing seemed like a bad thing. Maybe even a bad omen.

"As I said, Jensen is a gentleman. His family is one of the best and oldest back in Tethreya. He's not one to brag about it but the Ackles are rich, and Jensen has been courted by every clan Alpha looking to mate their omegas."

Jared's heart was sinking a bit more with every new piece of information.

"You are yourself a very lovely boy, promised to a great future I am sure, but Jensen Ackles is far above your status. His father is Alpha of the clan and he would not agree to his heir mating with you. The earlier you accept it, the better you'll fare."

The Intendant stood up and came to sit in the chair right next to Jared's.

"The best you could hope for with alpha Ackles would amount to being his mistress, his bit on the side. But he's too much of a good man to do that to you, which means nothing will ever happen."

A first tear escaped Jared's left eye, promptly followed by others that Sheppard wiped for him with his thumb. Jared forced himself to stay in place, although he hated the feeling of anyone else than Jensen touching him.

"I have a proposition for you, sweet boy. I'm not trying to force your hand here, and I'm not asking for an immediate answer either, I just want you to be aware that you're not alone and that you have choices."

Sheppard used a finger to push Jared's face up until their eyes met.

"I can't pretend to be as good a man as Ackles, not when I find myself attracted beyond words to someone like you. I'm mated already, you know that, but I have the means and the power to keep you by my side under any guise you'd think appropriate. I can appoint you as my private assistant, for example. Very private, and very intimate. In other words, Jared, I want you, in my bed, for as long as you feel like it, and I'm ready to pay to get you."

Jared had to give a good impersonation of a fish out of water while the Intendant's words tried to sink in. Then he did his best to keep in the anger they had awakened inside him.

"My Lord, though I'm quite flattered, I have to decline. Whatever you might say to warn me, however kind and thoughtful your proposition is, as far as I'm concerned, I've met my alpha already, and it's just a matter of time before he and I mate. He is the only man who will ever touch me."

Sheppard moved back in his chair.

"As I said, there's no need for a hasty decision. Enjoy your stay in Ismia, meet alphas, and we'll talk about this again after your two months in the palace are over."

It wasn't difficult for Jared to turn his face into a stony and cold expression in an attempt to convey his certainty. Jensen might be able to convince him to become his "bit on the side," but he would never be the Intendant's "private assistant."

Sheppard stood up again to get back to his side of the desk, back to his part as the powerful governor of the Islands.

"I'm glad we had this discussion, Jared. I'm freeing you now, but don't forget that my door is always open to you."

//////////// 

Jared had left the interview with Lord Sheppard both appalled and certain of one thing : he should leave the palace as soon as possible.

He let Jensen know about the Intendant's proposition at the next o-event, hoping that the news would maybe push his alpha to stake his claim. But that was of course wishful thinking.

"I know I'm the last person on Earth who has the right to say this," Jensen answered, "but you shouldn't accept any offer from that man. Please be wary, Jared. Sheppard won't ever leave his mate for you. He'd have to hide you like a dirty little secret, not love you and protect you the way you deserve."

It was impossible to be angry with this man when he said things like that. Or when he encouraged Jared to follow his idea and search for a job already. Beginning earlier than the rest of his contingent meant that he would have a bit more choice.

Or so was the plan.

//////////// 

Jensen's outfit was blue and grey tonight, and Jared was beginning to think that nothing could ever make him less handsome. His eyes devoured his mate for a long while, eliciting the beginning of a blush on the alpha's face, and then on Jared's when he realized how brazenly he was acting. Really, it seemed he had no shame left where Jensen was concerned.

And yet he kept on staring at his mate during the dances they shared, as they were getting closer and closer to each other, until their chests touched and Jensen's arm around his waist felt more like a lasso than a gentle guide. The hand on the small of his back was pure fire even through the fabric of his shirt. It wouldn't take much for it to slide down and cup his ass, follow his crack to…

The music ended and Jensen led Jared onto the first free balcony he found. The air felt great after the too-crowded room, just like the way the noise of the chatter was subdued out there and easily forgotten. Leaning over the balustrade, Jensen took a deep breath, and Jared unconsciously mirrored his attitude, applying his elbow against his mate's.

"How's the search for a job going ?" Jensen broke the silence after a while.

"Badly," Jared responded truthfully. "I was a teacher at the orphanage, you know, so I thought I could offer my help at the Sheppard Academy, but I was told that teaching was a job for betas here. I insisted that maybe I could take care of the omegas, if only for specific subjects taught only to them, and that's how I discovered that Sheppard had passed a law forbidding omegas to be taught in regular school."

"What ?"

"I'm not lying. They're sent to some special place, and that's only if the parents want them to go. And it's easy to imagine that most parents prefer to keep them either secure at home or, in a few cases, at work on the farm to help bring money."

"Did you apply for a job at this omega school ?"

"Yes, but they have all the professors they need. They were nice enough to say they'd keep my name and that they would call on me in case someone on the teaching staff left."

"That's too bad. If I had kids, I'd love for you to be their teacher."

"That's nice of you to say," Jared smiled at the compliment, but the little demon on his left shoulder pushed him to add something mischievous. "But you know those kids would be mine too, so of course I would teach them everything I know."

Jensen laughed at that.

"Of course, and they would be the most beautiful kids thanks to me and the most intelligent thanks to you, right ?"

"Don't glorify yourself, they'd get all their good looks from me too."

Jensen laughed again at the unexpectedly bold reply.

"I can imagine that," Jensen finally agreed with a soft smile and an intense stare.

It was really unfair how a simple smile and a few gentle words from Jensen could set Jared on fire, fighting the need to undress swiftly to offer himself again to his mate.

Maybe he would never be able to teach anything in close proximity to Jensen. He could only think of jumping his alpha and begging to feel him again inside his body, but not just his fingers this time. Jared wanted Jensen's cock, he wanted to feel his rim stretched impossibly wide around his knot. He didn't understand where these ideas came from but he couldn't seem to repress them, that succession of awfully pornographic images erasing every other mundane thought, occupying his mind all day long, and even more next to Jensen.

"So what about the other schools ?" Jensen cut in on his naughty daydream.

"Which other schools ?"

"You said you had tried with Sheppard's academy and the omega school, what about the other ones ?"

"There's no other one, Jensen."

"But surely… Are you telling me that a city of almost five thousand souls, maybe half of which are kids, only has one regular school ?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you."

"But… is it able to deal with all the kids in need of an education ?"

"What do you think ?"

Jensen remained silent for a while, his face an open book for Jared, all scowl and thinned lips.

"I guess the fees to get your child into the school go directly into Sheppard's pocket," Jensen extrapolated from Jared's information. "And then extra fees are due if you want your child to get good grades, not to mention their degree. Another way for the Intendant to hit pay dirt."

"So you think this is not just a way to keep the omegas at the bottom of our society ?"

"You can be sure of it. One thing you have to know about our dear Lord Sheppard is that everything that glitters turns to gold in his hands. Legally or not."

//////////// 

"My dear boy Jared, have you given some thought to my proposition ?"

"My dear Lord, although I'm still very flattered, I couldn't in good conscience give it more thought while my heart is engaged somewhere else."

It was clear on Sheppard's face that Jared's heart was not what the Lord was particularly attracted to, yet he couldn't say it aloud.

"Of course I understand. But know that the offer still stands, in case your heart was ever inclined to… change tracks."

"I will not forget, my Lord. I realize how lucky I am to have been distinguished by you, but the body obeys where the heart commands, as you well know."

The Intendant scowled some more.

"That Ackles boy is a fool, but it leaves me some hope that you'll reconsider with time. I'm not flattering myself when I say that I'm sure to be a better lover than him. Think about it, Jared ! Experience over youth. I could make you swoon."

"Your Lordship doesn't need flattery, I'm sure, but you have to know that I am faithful by nature. As I said, I will come pure to marriage, whenever it happens. And I know you'll respect my wishes."

//////////// 

Jared had chosen the wine-red outfit tonight, and he thought it was a good match to Jensen's elegant black breeches and white shirt. Hopefully, Sheppard would see them together and realize once and for all that Jared wasn't free for the taking.

Being allowed to come to these events only when Jensen was also around would help, but all omegas of the contingents were under the obligation to attend each and every one of them until they were married. Every time he wasn't held back by work, Sheppard lurked close, watching Jared with a disturbing intensity. There was no licentious proposition as long as someone else was around, but Jared alone meant that the Intendant would pursue him relentlessly with too many innuendos and thinly disguised demands for sex until the moment Jared could retire for the night with Katie for chaperone.

Jared was getting a bit worried about it all, but Jensen was here tonight, and he was like a knight in shining armor, the one man able to protect him from all the ugly things of this world.

"Have you been able to draw again ?" Jared initiated the conversation.

"A bit," Jensen answered, stretching his fingers to show Jared. "Knuckles and skin are mostly healed, but my muse has deserted me, the wench !"

"Maybe that's because you treat her so badly," Jared laughed.

"Badly ?!" Jensen was indignant. "She not only gets to enjoy the most beautiful island of the region on a daily basis, I also take her to those balls where she can admire gorgeous omegas like you. But still it's not enough. I'm telling you, that's a demanding muse if I know one."

"Don't you think she could use seeing more of this gorgeous omega ?" Jared proposed, all innocence.

"You'd think that, wouldn't you ?"

"Well, it's only logical deduction."

"Really ? What exactly do you know about drawing and muses ?"

"I'm a renowned artist, my etchings are displayed in all the fashionable castles back on the mainland. You should listen to my advice."

"Alright, now I'm intrigued, you have to show me your talent."

To Jared's surprise, Jensen took out of a pocket a graphite pencil and a sheet of paper. Offering them to Jared, he waited for him to draw something.

"What ? No inspiration either ? Did your muse wander off with mine maybe ?" Jensen asked with a straight face when Jared just kept staring at his hands.

"Not at all. Prepare to be swept off your feet."

Here goes nothing, Jared thought. He defiantly began to trace the stick man he was only capable of, next to a stick dog and their very square house, under a round sun shining straight rays upon the whole drawing. Then he gave the pencil and the sheet back to Jensen, waiting for his reaction.

"That's… err… talent doesn't even begin to describe it. I think I have no words."

"You're allowed to keep this chef d'oeuvre for your collection, it will be worth millions someday."

"Sweet, I won't have to work in my old days."

Jensen folded the paper and then put it back in his pocket with the pencil.

//////////// 

One of the jobs Jared was offered – caretaker for an old woman who had lost most of her mind – would have been perfect if only the potential employer, her son who lived in the same house, hadn't watched Jared as if he was already imagining the best way to bend him over his desk and fuck him senseless. Jared cut the interview short and ran away.

Most employers weren't interested in having an omega in their staff (too much problem, not strong enough, not _professional_ enough…) or already had all the personnel they needed. Jared offered his services as a private tutor to unschooled children, but most parents didn't have the money to spend on it. In this and any other kind of job, a few too many alphas suggested that Jared should be part of the deal, and then maybe they could reach an agreement.

Even if he had been that kind of omega, Jared knew better than to trust the solidity of such a work contract after he'd let his boss play with his ass for a while.

But he had a good feeling about the McNally inn right away. Boss and employees were smiling and affectionate with each other in a good way, and Jared was kindly welcomed when he said he was here about the half-time job. The boss listened to him without a leer or a bored expression until Jared was finished.

"You a casket boy, lad ?"

"I'm not sure I get your meaning, sir."

"That's what we call the omegas coming here to marry. You know, with those big caskets full of unknown treasures. So : casket boy, or casket girl."

"Then I must plead guilty as charged. But I can assure you that however big our caskets are, they sadly do not contain any treasure. Just a few clothes and useful items for a new household."

"And you're looking for a job instead of an alpha ?"

"Not exactly, I just don't want to be a burden to the community while I'm looking for my mate."

"Alright, that's good, but with such refined language, I don't see how you'd fit in my inn. Work's hard around here, you stand up all day and carry heavy bocks and plates, run around for hours… tis no idle job."

"I grew up in an orphanage where I had to help pretty much all the time. I was also a teacher, that's why I learned to speak this way, but I can assure you that I can hold my own in any hard work. Give me a few days to prove it, and you'll see that I'm not lying."

"I can't pay much. My other employees get two piasters a month at most for full time, if they really work hard, plus food and lodging, so do the math and divide for half of that."

"I don't ask for much. I'd rather get a free room up there if you have one, and two meals every day. The omegas cannot stay more than two months in the palace and then I'll have to sleep somewhere else as well as sustain myself."

"Might be possible to arrange something with the girl, if you're not too bothered with sharing. Julia is also an omega so nothing for you to fear. As for the meals, you can have whatever you arrange for yourself with the scraps. What'd you say ?"

The situation was not ideal, but so much better than all the other answers Jared had received.

"Agreed," he sighed in relief. "I look forward to working with you."

"Right. We'll see if you still say that after a few days."

//////////// 

The job was indeed hard, but not much worse than caring for orphans of all ages throughout the day. In Jared's opinion, the worst was dealing with drunken alphas, but he generally didn't work front of the house a lot. He preferred to work in the back anyway, in the kitchen with the funny cook, or change the sheets and sweep the bedrooms after the customers had left.

Some days were busier than others, during the main market especially. Then, the farmers living too far to arrive in the morning with their produce sailed the previous day to Ismia and slept at the inn. Some stayed the next night, pretending to be too tired to go back home immediately, but Jared knew they needed the company, that their life so far from the rest of humanity, often alone and working hard, had to be more than they could tolerate at times. Some also wanted to use the opportunity to attend one of the balls and spend an evening with the omegas, maybe meet someone who would agree to share their solitude and their island. Jared was always amused to see these men and women, who swore like sailors, drank even more, and didn't stand on formality at the inn, suddenly so uncomfortable in their Sunday best, feeling clumsy and out of place in the palace.

Jared worked mostly on these days, but the boss was understanding and had no problem with his obligation to attend the balls too. Most of his part-time hours were done in three days, leaving him with a lot of time on his hands. He only slept at the inn on working days. He didn't want to lose contact with Katie or the other omegas, and he still enjoyed the calm of his bedroom at the palace.

Julia, the young maid he had been hired to assist, was not a bad girl, but she had made a habit of bringing a customer to the room almost every night to make a few more pennies. As much as he wished for her to be able to live without selling herself, Jared had no alternate miraculous solution to offer to make money. So he didn't comment and came in later at night, giving her the time to make her deal. Maybe Julia was not very bright, but she was nice and she had accepted him when he was nothing but an intruder in the room she had enjoyed alone for a long time. Jared could make an effort too.

//////////// 

Julia had never sought to become a part-time prostitute, but life was what it was, and she'd rather sleep with a few not-too-bad-looking alphas than go to bed hungry, or not to have any bed at all. She had worked all her life and considered herself lucky to have this place with the McNallys, a boss who didn't try to force her and still turned a blind eye on her deals. The deals that allowed her to put a bit of money in the bank every month and dream of a time when she could settle on her own and no longer depend on alphas and their whims.

She had been wary of Jared at first. Another omega meant concurrence, and the guy was too beautiful to be true. But although some of her regular clients eyed him with undisguised hunger, it was clear Jared was keeping himself for his future mate. He was also so lovely and respectful that Julia could feel, day after day, her heart beating a little wilder in his company. She knew she shouldn't, they were both omegas, and Jared thought he could trust her, but she enjoyed watching him naked during his ablutions, and dreamed at night that he would welcome her in his bed, that he would let her do anything she pleased with his big, virgin body. She hadn't felt like that in a long time, not since the first alpha who had taken her virginity and abandoned her, dishonored and pregnant, the next morning. She was fourteen, and her parents had thrown her out soon after.

One of Julia's numerous _alpha friends_ had brought her to Ismia's shores, and forgotten her when he went back to the mainland with another omega adorning his side. Luckily, work wasn't hard to find in that time. The McNallys had taken her in with open arms and she hadn't needed to sleep with alphas for a while. But bad habits are difficult to ditch, and she had gone back to the oldest profession in the world after a few propositions. After all, no one had ever expressed the desire that she be their one and only. So if those alphas were fool enough to use their money for something as ephemeral as sex, then Julia was all for that money ending up in her own pocket.

She was sadly aware of the way Jared looked at her, and that was not with the lust and love she dreamed of at night. He was being friendly, understanding and non-judgmental, but never showed any intention of taking her in his arms and making love to her. It was breaking her heart and she couldn't say anything about her wish for a same-gender relationship. Sure, alphas would like to see two omegas getting it on, but a real, true relationship between them would mean prison at best, stoning at worst.

The day she brought alpha Nemec to her room and found Jared washing, bared from head to toe, Julia couldn't help hoping for a short moment that her dreams would come true despite the shock and dismay written on the omega's beautiful face. He was not supposed to be here, his shift had ended after breakfast. She was not supposed to be here either, not right before lunch, but Nemec had pestered her for a last tumble before he had to go back home, until she gave in at the mention of advance payment.

The farmer was the first to emerge from his stupor. He let go of Julia to approach Jared like a dragon on the prowl. Or so she imagined, she had actually never seen a dragon. She had never seen a lowsy either, but it was supposed to be the dragons' main food source after the wet grass of the islands, and Jared seemed to offer a good impersonation of the horror the small animal probably felt knowing it was about to be devoured.

"Julia, is this your way to try and make a few more pennies ?" Nemec asked as his hands landed on Jared's hips. "Because let's be clear, I'm all for a threesome, and I'll gladly pay to fuck this one. Especially for his first time, as I can smell."

The alpha's hands slid to cup Jared's ass, followed closely by Julia's eyes. It was a fantasy of hers, taking her time to discover with the tips of her fingers each and every inch of Jared's skin, and more than anything the parts that hadn't been explored yet by anyone. She was so sure she would know how to make him reel from her touch, better than any alpha would ever care to, because all they could think about was their own pleasure and how much they could take from others without ever giving back.

She wanted to convince Jared to agree to the threesome, give him all the money if need be, just to enjoy the few minutes of bliss touching him, watching him impaled on the alpha's cock, kissing his mouth and putting her own fingers into his ass. She wanted him less uptight, more pliant to his own physical urges, but then he wouldn't be the Jared she was in love with, the man waiting for his true mate to appear.

"He's not on offer, Corin," Julia intervened suddenly, decision made.

She came behind the other omega to dislodge the farmer's hands from Jared's ass cheeks, not strong enough to deny herself a little stroke in the process. Nemec's lips had attached themselves to one of Jared's nipples despite the omega's struggle, and it was some time before the alpha agreed to let go of him.

Then Julia pushed the client onto her bed and began to kiss his face to occupy him while Jared quickly dressed and fled their room.

//////////// 

Jared received the commandant's note as he was still drowning under the weight of his latest misadventure. To be honest, he had almost forgotten about the officer in his absence, another proof, in case it was needed, that he wasn't really interested in the alpha, not like Jensen who inhabited the forefront of his thoughts at any given time.

But Jensen wasn't around to take care of him, and an evening out was a good remedy to what ailed him, so Jared sent the messenger back with a note saying that he would be ready for the commandant at the mentioned hour. He tried to feel as concerned as usual to make himself pretty for his date, but the drive simply wasn't here and he didn't care if the officer admired him or not.

Morgan was waiting for him in his carriage by the entry of the service quarters at seven sharp. Jared hardly had time to sit before the commandant gripped his hand to kiss it lingeringly.

"I've been thinking of you," the officer said, keeping his hand in his to kiss it again.

The carriage moved then, pushing Jared against the other man, who used the opportunity to raise his left arm and wrap it around Jared's waist to steady him.

"More than two weeks have passed and I'm so sorry for that. Have you missed me ?"

"No need to be sorry, I'm sure you had important things to do. I've found a job myself, and I've been fairly busy."

"Really ? You'll have to tell me about that."

Jared made his first mistake of the evening then. Surprised to hear Morgan's voice so close to him, he turned his head to feel the commandant's lips land on his, and it was the surprise again that had him opening his mouth to let the alpha's tongue invade it. Jared felt he was some kind of mission Morgan had to master and achieve, obliterating any and all resistance to come out victorious on the other side, omega prisoners all tamed and mated or enslaved to the winning alphas, just like in ancient times. He tried to push him away but it was to no avail, Morgan was too strong and needy.

"I'll teach you how to kiss me," Morgan smiled when he finally released Jared.

"You're going too fast. I only agreed to go to dinner with you, nothing more. If you can't respect me, please drive me back to the palace right now."

The officer watched Jared for a long while, taking in his anger and seeming to realize that he had indeed gone too far, too fast.

"I'm sorry, Jared. This was not meant as disrespect. This was only the sign of my deep longing for you. I've dreamed of this moment all along our field trip. Even killing those terrible beasts out there didn't provide me with the pleasure it used to before I met you."

"I fail to see how it should lead to my accepting your indecent behavior. I am no whore, Commandant."

"I know that, Jared, don't ever doubt that I know that. And my intentions are genuine, please believe me. Let me take you to dinner as we agreed and I promise I'll give you no more cause to regret it."

The commandant looked honestly willing to prove his good faith, and it was not in Jared's nature to hold a grudge. He nodded curtly, a bit iffy about the hand still wrapped around his fingers and the arm around his body. Morgan was an alpha, a domineering one, who didn't see his attitude for what it said about him. Jared would have to keep on alert all evening, and probably refuse any other date in the future.

The restaurant was charming and calm, their table the only one in use that night. Candles lit the room with a warm glow that had Jared's anger receding completely.

Morgan helped Jared to his chair before sitting in front of him and immediately taking hold of his hand again. Jared sighed, ready to abandon it for the rest of the night. Aperitifs soon appeared – another tinted water for Jared and the usual whiskey for the commandant – but no menus were offered.

"I took the liberty to order their seasonal specialties for the both of us," the officer explained. "I've always been delighted by the new and amazing taste of the Djindilo's cuisine, and I'm sure it will be the same for you. Just wait and see."

Jared had little choice but to accept anyway. He doubted he could afford the cheapest dish in this place, so he would follow the commandant's rules as long as they were there and let him know how much he disliked his manners afterward. Hopefully, dinner would be great nonetheless.

The first plate was a kind of soup made incredibly thick by the yellowish herb slowly disintegrating in the liquid. It tasted a bit like arugula and Jared quite enjoyed it. The next dish was all crudités, none of them Jared could recognize. It was also very flavorful.

They had kept conversation light until then, but a pause before the main course had the commandant turning his full attention back on his guest.

"So tell me about this job of yours."

"It's just a job at an inn, really, there's nothing interesting or glamorous about it. I wait tables, wash the dishes, clean the bedrooms, that kind of thing."

"Had you ever done that before ?"

"Yes and no. Everybody helped at the orphanage, and I was one of the oldest by the end, so the padres counted on me to make sure everything was running perfectly."

"I'm sure you were very efficient and they were sad to lose you."

"I don't know about efficiency. Mostly, I tried to make the kids feel at home and cared for. I know how painful it is to grow up alone."

"You won't remain alone forever, Jared. If someone deserves to find happiness, then it's you."

"All orphans deserve it, but thank you, Commandant."

"I believe I told you to call me Jeffrey already. Don't you like my name that you never use it ?"

"No ! No, it's a great name, I just don't want to be inappropriate, or too familiar. You're the Islands' commanding officer, I'm just showing the proper respect."

"In this case, as the Islands' commanding officer, I'm ordering you to call me Jeffrey. Is that clear, omega ?"

"Crystal clear, Commandant."

Morgan growled.

"If I order you to call me Commandant, will you say Jeffrey just to spite me ?"

"Who knows ?" Jared smirked.

The next dish arrived then. Clean plates were put in front of each of them, soon filled with the main course, and then the big serving dish was settled on a small table brought next to theirs so that they could help themselves again anytime.

"This is chowli," the maître d' said to Jared. "Brought back directly by the commandant from his successful campaign in the northern islands."

As the man left them to eat, Jared stared uncomprehendingly at his plate for a little while before he gaped at Morgan.

"Does it mean this is some dragon stew ?"

It was the alpha's turn to smirk.

"Absolutely. Killed by me and prepared by the restaurant's cook. Chowli is the original name of the beast in the Visnian language. Come on, try it ! It's very tasty."

A bit too much for Jared's taste buds. Or maybe it was the accompanying vegetable, a kind of thinner leek, deep green and hard to chew on. But the sauce was heavenly, smooth and palatable, and Jared as well as the commandant poured more of it over their plates many times before they finished their dinner.

"How many of those beasts did you kill ?"

"My soldiers should not be excluded from your praises, although I definitely managed the bigger tally. We got a good one hundred of them over more than sixty islands."

"Did you bring them all back ?"

"Not all of them. We distributed more than half as we were going further in. The settlers that far North don't see much in the way of visitors, they rely heavily on neighbors if anything happens, so it's always good to remind them that there's a government and to look like the good guys. Free food goes a long way on that particular road."

Jared wondered vaguely why the commandant admitted to such a cynical attitude in front of him. Morgan hardly knew him and he couldn't be certain that Jared wouldn't go and tell anyone. He didn't even need that kind of speech to impress a lowly omega.

"I have a question. We were told, back in Tethreya, that there were no dragons left. So how come you and your soldiers are still going on shooting field trips and manage to kill one hundred of these supposedly extinct animals ?"

Jared was left gaping when the very proper and very full-of-himself commandant burst into laughter, barely controlling himself after a while to answer.

"That's because we lie to get omegas to overlook the dangers of the region," and the officer laughed again, "and also because we're the best damn sharpshooters you'll ever see !"

"Do you really need to kill all the dragons ?"

Morgan snorted.

"Ah, you omegas are so sweet, always thinking with your feelings and emotions, instead of your head. Which in your case is so pretty that you're doubly forgiven."

"Thanks. I think. But you didn't answer my question," Jared insisted, tapping the alpha's hand with the tip of his index finger to get him to focus.

"Well, it's the army's mission to secure the islands," Morgan answered and tried to catch the finger at the same time. "And it's just about the only exciting thing to do around here, but I guess you can't understand the thrill of the chase."

Morgan's prejudices were annoying, just like the fact he kept on snickering like a schoolboy caught ogling omegas in the restroom. It was quite disturbing to see a grown man such as him, usually so respectable and in possession of himself, act that way. Like beaming wide when he managed to catch Jared's finger.

But then hearing himself burst into laughter was even more surprising to Jared. Jeffrey's mirth was far too contagious to hold onto his seriousness, apparently.

Gone was the uptight front Jared had tried to cultivate to keep the alpha at arm's length. They were both laughing uproariously, uncaring of the restaurant staff judging them, and even more amused by their stern and reproving stares. Jared's head was spinning and it felt good to act without care for once.

"I thought we could go back to my mansion to finish the night in a better, more intimate place," Jeffrey proposed. "I have so many things to show you."

"As long as your knot is not included, I'm game."

"Funny boy ! I'll have you know that you're gonna love my knot. My knot is very desirable. It is a thing of beauty. It could be displayed in museums, people would travel from the end of the world to see its majesty."

"Undoubtedly. But let's postpone the visit to another day."

//////////// 

Jared's breath tasted like that amazing sauce now, and Jeffrey thought he would make sure to have it served every day at supper from now on, to enhance the taste of his omega. He would make it drip onto every inch of his body, to lick it off his skin from toes to brow. He would push it into his body, until the scent of his slick had merged with it, and then chase it with his tongue.

Jared moaned when a bump in the road shook the carriage, pushing Jeffrey's fingers further inside his ass. Jeffrey abandoned his lips for a second to take in once more the sight of his future mate half-naked, breeches open and brought down to his knees. He had always been of the opinion that male omegas didn't need big cocks, but he would admit easily that the show Jared offered right now had changed his mind.

The carriage came to a halt in front of his mansion and the door was immediately opened by a valet. The man fumbled with the folding steps in surprise upon seeing Jared's beauty on display, but he recovered quickly and assumed again the perfect vacant stare of the domesticity, although he tried in vain to avert his eyes. Jeffrey let him indulge for a few moments, kissing Jared as deep as he was fingering him. He would always enjoy showing off his mate, like those ancient, decadent alphas of the past who kept their omegas constantly naked to display their wealth and luck, elevating candaulism to an art form.

Jared would have been the treasure of his harem, his favorite concubine.

On the way to the mansion, Jared tripped when his breeches fell down his legs, his big hands too clumsy to keep them closed, those big hands Jeffrey had fantasized around his own dick. The valet dropped down hastily to help him, eyes glued to the sweet omega ass that he would have followed inside if Jeffrey hadn't closed the door in his face. Then they had to ditch a worried Captain Richings, wondering about the strange attitude of his superior officer.

They needed a drink. Something harsh, an alpha's drink, something to put hairs on your balls. Something an omega would be unused to.

Jared lapped it like milk and agreed to a second glass.

"We'd feel so much better without our clothes, don't you think ?" Jeffrey suggested.

"In fact, that's a terrific idea !"

They grinned at each other and began to disrobe right away. Garments flew all around the lounge, disappearing from view to lie on the floor or over the furniture and quickly forgotten. Naked, they stood and watched each other shamelessly.

Jared's playful side showed then.

"Catch me !" he threw behind him as he ran to the next room.

They spent a few minutes playing hide-and-seek, Jared trying to conceal his huge frame in undersized spaces that made him easy to spot, but always managing to escape like a slippery eel. When Jeffrey finally caught him in his office, he locked his arms around his ribcage and dragged him across the room to the couch. He sat the omega on his lap, Jared's back against his chest. He didn't dare relax his hold and reached for the closest aim, the tiny brown nipples begging to get stroked and maybe… yes, begging to be pinched wickedly, it was obvious in the way the omega's head fell on Jeffrey's shoulder, mouth gaping in pleasure.

Jeffrey's lips traced Jared's long neck, nipping at the cords elongated tightly with sexual tension. He let his hands slide down Jared's torso to his legs, spreading them and anchoring the omega's feet behind his own calves to make sure he would stay open. Stroking the hairless thighs, he reached for Jared's cock and began to rub it, encouraged by the filthy groans it sparked in his young lover.

"Jeffrey, there're two men outside," Jared suddenly remarked, mischievous.

"That's the guard. Think you're up to giving them a good show ?"

"The best !"

Jared's body heaved, and his sounds amplified. Jeffrey used his movements to rub his own cock against the omega's perineum, butting against his balls again and again until he thought he would lose it there and then.

But Jared wasn't satisfied for long by the position and he escaped again. Jeffrey blocked him two rooms later, in the ceremonial dining room, and bent him over the long table to administer the spanking the youngster needed so badly.

"Stop running away from me !" he commanded harshly.

It had been amusing at first, but now his throbbing cock reminded him of his original goal. He had to fuck and tame this omega, to master him, own his body.

Jared was squirming under the ass-beating but his moans seemed to call for more, and Jeffrey had vowed to serve. The scent of the omega's slick drifted right up to his nose and changed his mind. His hands stopped hitting the ass cheeks to spread them instead, uncovering the tiny hole he wanted to plunder restlessly. He brushed it with his fingers, taking in the skin's texture, slathering the slick all around.

Jeffrey smiled at the sensation that they were observed. Yes, there, the two guards hardly faking doing their duty by the window. Entranced by the view of his debauched omega and his hole on display, still giving them the best show ever.

There was another salon next, one reserved for alphas usually, but Jeffrey didn't mind making an exception for once. He took Jared there, sitting the omega sideways on his lap to kiss and caress him at will. But still Jared refused to stay motionless and comply with Jeffrey's desire.

It was downright easy to flip the omega over his lap and rain down more hits on his already pink and hot ass to teach him to obey. Jared moaned and arched, but he didn't try to escape this new punishment any more than the first one. He looked kind of groggy, boneless, and Jeffrey knew then that the time had come to get to his bedroom and enjoy more adult games.

Jared was totally unable to walk there. Jeffrey found the solution easily ; he threw him over his shoulder – damn, the omega was heavy ! – and carried him there. Then he arranged him the way he wanted him to bury his face between his ass cheeks, licking his hole furiously to prepare for the fucking.

That's how he fell asleep.

//////////// 

The feeling was so pleasant that Jared's mind succeeded in getting over its need for sleep.

"Jensen," he murmured, arching towards the source of pleasure to get his mate to caress his cock with full hands. One lone finger was totally insufficient.

His eyes opened to a huge white room inundated with early morning sun. The spinning feeling of the previous night returned immediately. His head felt heavy, weighted with lead, and his body too, save for his rapidly hardening dick.

"Jensen," he called again, searching with a clumsy hand for his beautiful alpha.

His fingers encountered rough fur that felt more animal than human. Laboriously directing his gaze to his crotch, Jared discovered with a nonchalant surprise that Jensen wasn't the one stroking his dick, but a small monkey whose entire hand hardly measured next to a human finger. Jared watched the cute animal applying both his hands around the girth of his cock, up and down and up again.

Something didn't match. The pleasure was there, but it seemed totally disconnected from the rest of this body, just like his thoughts. Odd.

Another hand, a human one this time, spread over his lower stomach, and this one didn't seem to belong to Jensen either. The skin and hair were too dark, closer to Jared's own coloring than Jensen's fairer complexion. Jared turned his head the best he could and realized with a muted shock that the man holding him was the commandant.

A very naked commandant, just as naked as Jared himself. So naked that his hard cock was comfortably nestled into Jared's crack. Jared turned back and the motion had the still-unconscious officer conscious enough that he began to rock, pushing his dick up and down, getting it caught more than once between Jared's thighs and leaving a wet trail behind.

It didn't feel right. For whatever reasons, Jared knew he shouldn't be here, shouldn't tolerate the commandant's behavior, shouldn't be naked in his bed, in his arms. Shouldn't let that damn monkey either touch him or lap at the tip of his dick like it was the world's best candy.

He managed to push away both human and animal, sitting precariously on the edge of the bed – and wondering why his ass hurt so damn much – long enough for the room to stop sinking and turning on itself, and then he was able to stand. A cautious move of his body allowed him to ensure that his clothes weren't in the bedroom. Jared seemed to remember being too hot and ditching them, in a dining room. Maybe. Somewhere that wasn't here, anyway.

He slowly went out, battling with annoyance at his own cock to get it to deflate, but the thing had a mind of its own, images of Jensen sucking and stroking still obsessing him, enough to keep it hard. And it didn't help that the monkey had followed him, gripping his thigh tightly to make sure Jared wouldn't leave it behind.

"What do you want from me ?" Jared asked the animal. "I have no food for you."

"It's called a Tarin monkey," a voice behind him replied.

Jared turned to find a man who he seemed to remember welcoming them last night at the mansion. The alpha was standing there in his richly brocaded uniform, studying Jared from head to toe with a severe expression on his face. His voice was still as stern when he spoke again.

"Parents in Visnia use them to know when their omega children become sexually active, so that they can separate them from alphas in time."

Jared thought there was some kind of message in the captain's words, but his nebulous mind just couldn't decipher it. It seemed the officer was disapproving of something, though Jared didn't know what he had done to displease him. So he focused once again on finding his clothes and let the welcomed blankness invade his thoughts, mindless of the alpha's judging stare.

The man was following him all around the room, not doing much to help. And as the time and rooms passed, Jared became a little bit more conscious of his surroundings. And his complete nakedness.

Still his clothes were nowhere to be found, until they got to the other end of the mansion, where each item lay on a different piece of furniture, sometimes even the parquet floor, as if Jared had disrobed quickly and thoughtlessly, throwing them haphazardly in his will to get naked as soon as possible.

He was blushing bright red by the time he picked them all up, abandoning there those that obviously belonged to the commandant, before he got dressed not very efficiently, putting the right foot in the left leg of his underwear and blushing even more at the idea of being seen with those indecent pieces of clothing. Richings' judging attitude wasn't helping, but Jared finally got it done and prepared to leave.

"Maybe you should take the monkey home with you," the captain proposed before he left.

This time, Jared heard everything the captain wasn't saying.

"It was not…" he tried. "We did not… It's a misunderstanding."

"Really ? It seems all very understandable to me."

"No, I assure you…"

There was no convincing the alpha, that much was clear. So Jared did the only thing he could : he ran away.

//////////// 

Thankfully, Jensen showed up at the next event, a picnic organized in one of the pretty parks on the other side of the city that Jared hadn't had time to visit previously.

He felt terrible, agitated and afraid. He needed to come clean right now, to know once and for all if his alpha was going to shun him from now on for his lewd behavior.

"Can we eat together, far enough from everyone else ? I need to tell you something but I don't want to be overheard. It's kind of… personal."

"Okay, I'd like that. Come on, let's choose what we want to eat, then we'll find someplace out of the way."

They did just that, filling their plates with various salads and meats, most still unrecognizable to Jared, so he followed Jensen's lead to avoid a repeat of his embarrassing display in front of the commandant and the captain ; he doubted Jensen would let him get naked in public, but better safe than sorry. Then Jensen put everything they needed in a basket and showed Jared the way to get away from the crowd. They passed a curtain of trees leading to a nice little meadow up on the hill, where they could be alone and see anyone approaching from their top position, but still close enough to the picnic area to be seen and nip the gossip in the bud, and sat on a threadbare blanket laid by Jensen on the grass.

Fearing that the heavy topic he wanted to broach might kill their appetite, Jared waited until they were finished with their meal before going for the conversation he needed to have with Jensen. He didn't exactly enjoy the idea of talking about any of it, nor remembering what had happened, but he couldn't take the risk that Jensen would hear about his misadventures with the commandant. He knew that any version coming to Jensen from someone else would show Jared as a willing party and a slut.

"I have…" Jared began painfully, "please, promise me you'll listen to me till the end of my story, and that you won't judge me too harshly ?"

"Of course," Jensen responded easily, manifestly surprised by Jared's question. "Jared, you know I think very highly of you ? And I'm pretty sure nothing can make me change my mind. Tell me, what's bothering you so much ?"

His eyes darting everywhere but to his mate's face, Jared soldiered on.

"A few days ago, I accepted Commandant Morgan's invitation to get dinner together. I wasn't that interested in him but I thought, you know, I ought to give him a chance since… He took me to a nice place and the food was great, so it made up for the fact that it was all a bit boring. We didn't even realize that we were allergic to some of the local food, I just knew that my head was spinning so fast, and I felt like laughing all the time. So I… I said yes when the commandant asked me to go back to his house with him. I swear I wasn't thinking of sleeping with him, you have to trust me. I just wanted to have a bit of fun, with someone who seemed to be interested in me."

Jensen didn't say a word, but he took Jared's hands in his to help him go on.

"The commandant was a lot more amusing like that, looser, cracking bad jokes. I don't remember much of the night after that, just bits and pieces, laughing uncontrollably, especially when he tried to touch me. I can't tell if I was really attracted to him or not, all I know is that I woke up the next morning in his bed, next to him, and we were both completely naked. I… I'm still a virgin, he didn't take me, but I was so far gone that… and I was still not feeling that well in the morning, it took me some time to find my clothes, and during all that time, Morgan's second in command – I think he's called Richings – he was there, watching me naked… I know what he thought when he saw me leaving an alpha's room in such a state, and I didn't want him or anyone else to talk to you before me. You have to believe me, Jensen, I'm still pure for you."

Jensen's hands squeezed his tightly, the alpha's face a curious mix of anger and compassion.

"I do, Jared, I believe you. Never worry about that. But are you sure Morgan didn't drug you on purpose ? Maybe he thought he would take no risk with as big an omega as you."

"No, he was just as sick as me, and probably unable to… you know what I mean, since I'm still a virgin."

Jared kept on blushing through all the discussion, unable to look Jensen in the eyes most of the time, but the warmth of his alpha's hands helped him tremendously. His mate hadn't rejected him ! That was all that mattered.

"Thank you, you know, for believing me. I know I'm not a catch but I didn't want you to…"

"Don't say that, Jared ! And stop putting yourself down. You have nothing to be ashamed of, no more now than you did before it happened. From what I can imagine, you handled very well a potentially disastrous situation. How do you feel now ? Still feeling the effect of your intoxication ?"

"No, just ashamed, and I know I've been a fool to accept his invitation, it could only have led to such a misunderstanding. But you know, I just wanted to have a bit of fun, and I thought a gentleman like the commandant was a safe choice. That if my true mate doesn't want me, I had nothing to fear from him. I was so naïve."

"You were only naïve to think I don't want you and that other alphas would not either. But you're not a fool, trusting people is a beautiful quality."

"You want me ?" Jared exclaimed.

"I thought my reaction on the day we met spoke for me ?"

"But you resisted, and you cast me aside."

"No, Jared. I ran away from complications and I didn't want to have to explain myself to a stranger. To be honest, I don't know where I found the strength to resist you."

Jensen sighed and then smiled at Jared.

"I guess I can't blame Morgan entirely. I want to go and call on him for not respecting you, but he just did what his hormones were telling him to do, without the help of his upper brain."

Jared didn't like it, but Jensen was right saying that they were strangers back then, and he could understand his alpha's attitude. He would certainly understand even better, had he not been the rejected party. But Jensen's words were honey to his wounds, the proof that Jensen felt more and more at ease with him and that nothing was definitely lost for Jared.

"Come on," Jensen said, pulling on his hand to have Jared lie by his side.

Lying face to face, the men's discussion turned to lighter subjects until Jared fell asleep, safe in the presence of his alpha mate.

//////////// 

Jared woke up drowsy, the afternoon sun high above his head. Jensen was not in his field of vision anymore, but the alpha's scent was close so Jared didn't feel abandoned.

Playful shouts from the picnic area below their meadow chased away the last whispers of sleep from Jared's mind, pushing him to sit and take a look at the world around him. Jensen was already sitting, a big notebook in hand to sketch the scene all around them. Jared was mesmerized for a long moment, until the alphas in the next clearing began to call for headball players.

"Aren't you going to play ?" Jared asked his mate.

"I don't think so."

"Don't you like to play ?"

"I do, I like a good workout. But I like to draw even more."

Jared's eyes went back to the drawing that was taking life in front of him.

"What about you ?" Jensen asked suddenly.

"What about me ? I can't draw."

"I remember," Jensen said with a smirk. "Do you like to play ?"

Jared was taken aback.

"I've never… Omegas were not encouraged to play at the orphanage, they said moving around too much was not good for the children we were supposed to bear one day so we should get used to it already, and no one invited me here either. It's an alpha thing, you know that."

"Well, that's a shame, especially for an omega such as you. Would you like to try ?"

Jared took the time to think about it and, yes, he felt he could enjoy the workout too.

Omega players were not exactly unheard of, but they generally played in place of their own alphas. Unmated omegas should be demure enough to realize that it wouldn't do to put themselves on display. Their lives were about sustaining their alphas and nurturing their babies, not competing to show off their force, or lack thereof. It was almost social suicide to attract alphas' attentions to an omega's body, like suggesting it was on offer for the taking.

But this particular alpha didn't seem to see why it should be like this. He was offering Jared the opportunity to try something new under his own volition.

"Okay," Jared agreed, "on one condition. You show me your drawing once it's finished."

Because Jared also wanted the opportunity to spend more time with the one he still considered to be his very own alpha. He could stay here right now and watch him draw, sharing idle talk, or he could go and play, and find an excuse to see him again soon, maybe in a place less crowded where they could learn to know each other better.

"Deal," Jensen said with another smile, clearly approving of Jared's decision.

Jensen got his player ticket out of his pocket to give it to Jared.

"Have fun ! I'll watch you from here, holler if they give you grief."

It turned out to be a strange experience. The alpha players accepted him easily enough but they held their strength back at first, and the game was quite boring, especially after Jared found the tricks of the play and easily matched his not very good, slow and heavy partners, getting to most balls first thanks to his unique height. So Jared had to shake them a bit, using his natural advantage without concern, twisting and turning and throwing until it was clear he would win if the other players didn't do something about it. He showed them that maybe he would never be as strong as them but he was still no small and delicate thing, that he was willing to take a few bruises to put them in their places and, before long, the game became even and a lot of fun.

Above all, the possibility of Jensen's gaze upon him had Jared preening, happy to show off his skill at ball playing. And Jensen had given him his ticket, as if Jared was his omega. Maybe it wasn't total surrender yet, but it was a big step for his alpha.

//////////// 

"What have you got for me this week, Captain ?"

Richings, conspirator at heart, looked around them as usual before he began his report.

"Nothing of importance, my Lord, I'm afraid, but something quite entertaining happened to the commandant. He got himself drugged by some aphrodisiac supposed to get a reaction out of virgin omegas, not older alphas, and witnesses have reported seeing them engaged in some kind of game, blind man's bluff maybe, running through the mansion, the commandant and his guest both naked and in high spirits. Then the game turned out to be a lot more adult-oriented. I was able myself to see the omega. He was still totally undressed the next morning, so I can attest to the veracity of the various rumors."

"My, my, the old officer does know how to have fun besides killing dragons ! Wonders never cease. I trust this omega has a name, and that you wouldn't tell me about all this without a good reason ? Do you reckon Morgan might be interested in him more than the usual one-night stand, maybe even more than his beta catamite ?"

"I do, my Lord. The commandant seems very taken with the omega, he was quite unsettled to see him gone the next morning, and since then all his attempts to meet again have been ignored. The omega's name is Jared Padalecki, and I guess he's handsome enough if you're attracted to his kind."

"Ah, Richings, you've always been old before your time. Some of us enjoy the fight before sex, and no one fights harder than a fiery omega who doesn't want to be taken."

"I have to believe the commandant is getting old too then, as this omega was still a virgin when he left, his scent was quite clear about that. Thoroughly explored, as per the rumors, and a little breached, sexed up enough that a Tarin monkey had decided to take him as his mate, but technically still a virgin."

Sheppard hid a satisfied smile. For some reason, the possibility that his old enemy would get to the Padalecki boy first really pissed him off. Although the idea of Jared cuckolding the officer with him was also particularly delightful and had the Intendant almost wishing for an imminent marriage. It would feel great. Better than having his second in command betraying him, for more than a year now, because he felt he hadn't been promoted the way he deserved. Richings was so convinced of his own importance, even as he failed to realize he would forever be Sheppard's bitch.

Padalecki had managed somehow to attract three of the most important personalities of the Islands. Sheppard was very aware of Ackles' reluctant interest, since Jared had told him about the alpha's unprompted appearance at his first ball. And he kept coming back, though he hated social events with a passion. Jared had no way to know it, but it was so unlike the free-spirited Ackles heir that Sheppard was surprised those two were still unmated. In any case, it was an interesting lever to use against the alpha if need be.

Three very different, but just as domineering and powerful alphas (Ackles may play the part of a sheep, he was still very much a wolf) vying for one lowly and overwhelmed omega. The odds were not in Jared's favor. But the game would be fun, especially for Sheppard who had the best cards in hand and didn't mind playing dirty. He could send word throughout the city not to lodge the omega. A lot of people would obey, and soon Jared would have no choice but to come to him and accept his offer.

//////////// 

Jared felt tired today, more than ever. He knew he still felt bad about the events with the commandant, still felt ashamed despite Jensen's very understanding attitude. Even though the rational part of his mind had come to terms with the drugging, Jared just couldn't forgive himself that easily.

If Morgan had used him… Jared couldn't imagine what would have happened then. And what if he had ended up pregnant ? The commandant was probably enough of a gentleman to help him deal, but Jared would have lost all chance of ever mating Jensen, and therein lay his biggest fear. He felt hypocritical for this, not even thinking about the potential child after the things he had said to Julia when she had confessed to having a child. An alpha, who her parents had forced a teenage Julia to abandon in their care when they had thrown her out of their house right after she had given birth.

Jared didn't want to blame her, but it was difficult to feel for the other side, for the abandoner, when he knew too well the hurt of being abandoned. He could try being reasonable and remember that Julia had once been young and helpless, but still he thought about this baby left behind by his mother, like his own parents had done to him. He could never do that to his own child, but how could he raise one when he hardly earned enough to live by himself ?

He heard noises behind him, but his muddled brain didn't register what it meant and he kept on doing the bed, not realizing that he was not alone anymore in the inn's bedroom he was fixing for the next guest. Then it became frighteningly clear as hands closed around his ass and pushed him face first onto the bed.

Jared's cries were muffled by the sheets and blanket. His struggling doubled when he felt his breeches and underwear going down his legs, baring him to the sight and touch of the alpha attacking him.

"Just as pretty as I remember," a voice whispered, close to revering.

Jared recognized that voice, the one of alpha Nemec, Julia's client, who had tried to get him to agree to a threesome. The scent had seemed different because it was laced with alcohol.

One of the alpha's hands closed around Jared's wrists, pressing into the small of his back to keep him in place. The other one caressed his ass lingeringly before two fingers plunged into his hole. Jared yelled. He was dry, not excited in the slightest, and the pain was terrible, but fighting only seemed to push the fingers further in and make the pain worse.

There was a strong commotion as the bedroom's door opened violently and hit the wall on its course. Soon after, Jared's hand were freed and he used them to try and crawl away. The fingers were well embedded in his ass, though, and it took long seconds before he was able to escape to the other side of the bed. He put his clothes back on first, still in a panic and vaguely aware of the discussion behind the bed.

He heard his boss's voice and felt instantly better. The old alpha had barged in to protect him, and he would make sure that Nemec got what was coming to him.

Jared stood up, securing with one hand the drawstring of his breeches that had been ripped in the fight, and looked at his assailant and savior. Nemec seemed as drunk as he smelled, and McNally was doing his best to placate him.

"I can't believe I have to bear that kind of behavior here !" Nemec fumed. "This is supposed to be a good inn, not a brothel where you get cornered by whores in your own bedroom."

"Don't worry, alpha, the boy is fired and he won't trouble you anymore."

"What ?!" Jared shouted, disgusted. " _He's_ the one who tried to rape me and _I_ am fired ?"

"Don't argue, lad, and let the alpha sleep."

McNally grabbed his arm and pulled him outside. He didn't let go of him before they stood in front of Julia and Jared's bedroom door.

"I'm sorry, Jared. I have to think of my family and my employees. You know customers always come first. I'm pretty sure the guy is a debauched alpha lying through his teeth, but I can't afford to lose his business, and probably that of any number of his friends at the same time. I have to play as if I believe him, and let go of you."

"But I could still work in the kitchen, and do the bedrooms when no one's there. Please, don't let me go. I need the job ! And the room even more."

Even with Julia bringing in alphas almost every night to put butter on her bread.

"As I said, I'm sorry, boy. You're a good lad, and you're worth ten times this whore Julia, but that's not the kind of omega the clientele here wants and enjoys. This is as much for your own good as it's for mine, I won't always be around to prevent a rape, and you know it."

Probably, but Jared doubted it would end better on the streets, sleeping outside at night with no protection at all. He could see, though, that alpha McNally had made up his mind and there would be no changing it. He had to leave, and search anew for a solution.

//////////// 

The bad news was that he had lost his job and his room, so he had to go back to the palace. The good news was that Sheppard was on some kind of vacation trip with his mate and he was supposed to stay there for about two weeks. His main staff gone with him, the palace was actually a pretty decent place, delivered from the shadow of the Intendant and his army of yes-men.

In two weeks' time, Jared wouldn't be allowed to live here anymore anyway, so he had until then to find a new job and room. He didn't want to call on Jensen and ask for his help. He wanted to prove to his alpha that he was able to deal in time of crisis, that he was not one of these evanescent and timorous omegas everybody despised so much. He wanted to show that he was worthy of the high opinion Jensen had professed about omegas.

He had first taken a day off, to catch up with Katie and the other omega friends he had made during the trip ; and now it was back to the job search as a full-time occupation.

He was met with the same kind of answers, the salacious offers he had to fend off again and again, as well as the dubious stares that made him feel incapable and weak. But he kept at it, unwilling to give up.

His path led him to a huge construction site. The building was hardly coming off the ground, giving no clue as to what kind of place it would become. This was not the best part of town so Jared doubted the construction would grow to reveal a posh mansion, which meant it could only be some official building, where maybe lots of people would have to work. It couldn't hurt to ask.

The site foreman answered his questions obligingly. There would be a school here, in a few months' time, a coeducational one, big enough to accept all the kids in need of a place. The alpha knew nothing about the future teachers, but he gave Jared the name of the architects who would probably know more.

It turned out that the Ackles Bank was the project's master, where registration forms were available to apply for a job. It was quite certain that the building wouldn't be finished before the next school year, when Jared was back in Tethreya, but still he filled in the lines and gave the form back to the pretty beta who had welcomed him. He probably imagined her smile getting bigger when she read his name.

Jared didn't want to think that Jensen had done it all for him, even though he couldn't help feeling that way. His heart swelled with love as he went back to his search.

//////////// 

The young alpha leading the way couldn’t be more than fourteen, fifteen at best, but he had been nice and helpful when Jared had asked for direction into the maze of warehouses. They weren't far from the docks, but Jared had never been there before and he had quickly found himself completely lost, until he had met Chad, who had offered to show him to his destination.

Jared was of course looking for a potential job in this place, sent by a rumor more than real information, but he couldn't afford to ignore it. He would soon outlast his welcome at the palace and he needed a job, now.

None of these warehouses looked welcoming or particularly fit for the kind of desk job the rumor talked about. Thus Jared didn't show any particular wariness when Chad opened a door to go in.

"Here we are," he said, holding the door for Jared to follow him inside.

The place was dark and musty. It seemed evident no one had been here for a while.

"Are you sure this is the place ?" Jared tried to confirm.

"That's what I heard. They're probably in the next room."

The next room was huge, and just as empty aside from the few crates abandoned all around and the spider webs.

"Hello ?" Chad shouted. "Anyone here ?"

Jared followed him, somewhat reassured by his presence in this gloomy place.

"I think this was a hoax," Jared concluded, discouraged. "Some bad joke that probably looks very funny when you're not desperately looking for a job."

"Don't take it like that," Chad sermonized. "A pretty thing like you surely has a lot of assets that could sell very well."

"I am not a whore, if that's what you're implying."

"Sorry darling, no offense meant. Just being practical. An alpha's gotta do what an alpha's gotta do !"

For some reason, those words alarmed Jared as to Chad's intentions. Yes, he was still a teenager, but he was already stronger than Jared, who had stupidly followed an alpha into a deserted warehouse where no one would come and save him this time.

"Are you the one behind the rumor ?" he asked, taking a few steps back. "Did you do it to attract omegas and rape them ?"

"Rape ? What an ugly word ! Who said anything about rape ? No, darling, we're here for my rite of passage."

"What ?"

"Nothing but a simple little rite, and I'll do all the hard work, I promise. Now come here."

"No !"

Jared tried to run, but Chad caught him soon with a leg pushed between his so that Jared fell on his hands and knees. In less than a minute, and despite all his struggling, Jared found himself naked again, his breeches and underwear thrown away and his shirt covering his face while trapping his arms. Chad arranged him to his satisfaction, ass in the air and legs spread wide, holding him by sitting more or less on his back, like a backward rodeo.

He felt one of the alpha's hands caressing his backside insistently, spreading his cheeks to touch his hole, then getting on its way to Jared's balls and dick via his perineum. The touch wasn't really sexual, more like a trip of discovery, and Jared wondered, in the middle of his desperate fight, if Chad had ever had sex before. He hadn't been close enough outside to smell him that well, and here the mildew was clogging up his nose. Maybe this rite was the alpha's way to come of age, to lose his virginity.

Chad's whistle rose above the sound of Jared's cries. Then two opposite doors opened and Jared froze. The rattling of many footsteps added to his panic, as well as the gust of wind entering the room, sending forth the smell of many alphas gathering around Jared and Chad.

He had walked into this trap under his own volition, and he could blame no one but himself for what was going to happen now. He should let it happen to minimize the pain, weep later when he was left alone, but he couldn't help crying and screeching as two new hands landed on his ass, stroking it for a long while before they did the same to his asshole. Then, just like Chad, they traveled along his perineum to get to his balls and roll them against each other. His cock got the same attention, stroked to hardness against Jared's will.

His slick appeared with the third set of hands caressing him, leading to an unending fountain easing the path for all the next alphas. Jared was crying and twitching automatically now, unable to stop himself even through the two orgasms he was forced into.

He had no idea how long it lasted, how many hands used him for this incomprehensible rite. All he could think about was Jensen, and Jared didn't want to associate him with what was happening to him, so he shut his mind and forgot he was there.

He came back to consciousness when he felt a cool, wet cloth passed over his genitals and his asshole. Jared opened his eyes to find himself lying on his back on a makeshift bed, still mostly naked. Chad was holding him open with one hand and cleaning him up with the other.

"Back with us, sleeping beauty ?" Chad asked with a smile.

Jared's eyes darted around to see if they were not as alone as he had first thought, bringing his legs closed and protecting his modesty behind both hands.

"Don't worry," Chad said, understanding. "The other guys are gone. I'm gonna look for your clothes, don't move."

Jared followed the alpha with his eyes, realizing he had been brought into yet another room in the same warehouse where everything had gone down.

"I sleep here, sometimes," Chad said when he was back with Jared's breeches and underwear, both heavily dusty.

Jared didn't mind, though, and he put them back on hastily as soon as Chad passed them on to him.

He headed for the door then, and was about to open it when something occurred to him.

"Why ?" he asked, trying in vain to master the recurring shivers shaking his body, but needing to know what this had all been about.

Once again, Chad's smile was big and happy, nothing malicious like the act he had forced Jared into.

"I'm the leader now, thanks to you. I captured a fully grown-up o-boy, disrobed him and held him down for as long as needed for my gang to get to him too. And it was the biggest and strongest omega any of us have ever seen, so my place is secure now. I'm an adult, and no one will fight me for my title."

"That doesn't prove anything !" Jared shouted, incredibly angry in front of Chad's obliviousness. "You're not an adult because you were able to hold down and humiliate someone so much weaker than you. You're pathetic, and I hate you !"

"For what it's worth, none of them saw your face so your honor is safe with me."

None of them saw his face, but they got his scent, and he was indeed bigger and taller than any other omega. And even if none of them could identify him, it was no excuse at all for the onslaught.

"Should I thank you perhaps ? What, it's not a big deal if twenty alphas…"

"Thirty-six," Chad interrupted. "Thirty-seven with me."

"Even better !" Jared laughed without a trace of humor. "Thirty-seven alphas have touched my ass and my dick, they basically saw me entirely naked, but hey, they didn't see my face so no worries. You moron, do you really think that's how it works for me, or any other omega you and your little friends have been playing with ?!"

"Don't take it like that, Jared. I told you, your secret is safe with me, no blemish on your reputation. Just a little bit of pleasure for each of us, and no one has to know about it."

"Because you think… my gods, did you ever stop to ask an omega about their feelings ? About the pleasure they might get or not ? I bet you didn't ! You just chose to believe what's best for you, and that means the lies spread by millions of alphas before us, who have enslaved omegas, treated them like whores, pretending they were willing once they had fucked them, that it was all their fault when they ended up pregnant. Maybe you'll understand your mistake once you're a real man. Or once you find your own mate. I just hope someone with the same low opinion about omegas won't have fucked them before you."

"Dear gods, it's not as though we had all fucked you. We could have, you were so gone with pleasure, but we didn't, so get down off your high horse. You omegas, always trying to make everybody cry about your sad fate. Don't forget all the laws that have been passed to protect you."

"Maybe we're not under the omega fair trade agreement any longer, but all you alphas constantly forget it."

"You have to admit, that was one great agreement !" Chad said, probably to spite him more than anything else.

Jared shuddered uncontrollably at the mere thought of the way omegas had been passed from one owner to another for centuries before the age of enlightenment. This was the result of too many omegas in the whole population's balance, the reason why they were still seen at large as a commodity, and not a wealth to be treasured. Maybe it was understandable during the Dark Ages, from a certain point of view, in that time when mankind was subjected to bigger and meaner animals as well as any potentially lethal illness.

But though they were well past that time now, mores had failed to evolve accordingly. Chad and his rite of passage were the living proof of that failure.

"I can help you to find a job if you wish," Chad's voice brought Jared back to the present.

"Thanks but no thanks. I'm not falling into your trap again.

"As you wish. But if you can't find anything else, try Murray's, on Bradley Street. If you say I sent you, they'll take you in."

"What is it ? A bordello ? Where you'll finish your ritual, fuck me for good this time and then pass me on to your thirty-six friends ?"

Chad looked weirdly pissed, maybe even hurt.

"That's my parents' inn, asshole. But please, by all means, keep doing it your way, it obviously works so well for you ! Clearly, you're too good to accept the help of a street kid, your highness."

"That's rich coming from you !" Jared thundered before he tried to calm down.

Chad was right, he couldn't afford to ignore any offer. And he hadn't been raped, he had to focus on that fact.

"Okay," he said with another shudder, everything in him rebelling at the thought of giving in. "I might give it a try, but rest assured that I won't go blindly into this. I'll make some inquiries, and my friends will know where I am."

//////////// 

"There will be fewer alphas in attendance tonight," Sheppard announced. "I'm told it's time for the first harvest of the year, so our farmers are hard at work these days, helping each other in turn. This is a good opportunity to put the focus on our non-farmer alphas, who are not less worthy of your attentions, dear omegas."

Not less worthy, sure, but they were definitely too close to the kind of alphas Jared had left behind him in his former life to be interested in making small talk with them. He longed for Jensen, knowing why the man couldn't be here but wishing for his presence all the same. Only Jensen's warmth and understanding could make him feel better after the recent events.

And then a glass of tinel appeared in front of his face and Jared found himself staring at the most beautiful grin he could imagine.

Jensen looked very tired, but pleased to be here anyway.

"I didn't think you'd come tonight !" Jared exclaimed, impossibly happy.

"I know. I wasn't sure I could, but I know you get bored when you have no one to talk to, so here I am."

"You seem very sure that I can't find someone else's company."

"On the contrary, I'm glad to see I didn't come in vain. The guys have been giving me grief for leaving so early today. So you're stuck with me tonight."

"What kind of terrible things did those guys do to you ?"

"They kept singing love songs and making kissy faces. Stupid alphas !"

Jared didn't really try to refrain from laughing at Jensen's playfully distraught face.

It took him less than one hour to break down and tell Jensen everything about Chad and his rite of passage. His mate tried to console him as best he could, telling him about this ancestral custom that the youth of the Islands had revived in their own style, losing the religious context that had allowed the omegas of that ancient time to accept the act Jared had suffered as part of a sacrifice to the gods. He let Jared cry over this new violation and soothed him with words both tender and respectful. Then Jensen took his hand to lead him to the dance area. Uncaring of what anyone else might think, he held Jared in his arms and slowly swayed with him to the rhythm of the music, Jared's face buried in his alpha's neck.

//////////// 

Finding a place to sleep wasn't any easier than a job. The few omega-only boarding houses were full to the brim, and Jared suspected that you had to be "sponsored" to get in on the rare occasion that a room was liberated by an omega getting married. He had learned that Sheppard once again had his hand on the market, restricting the number of o-boarding rooms to ensure that they would pay well. Jensen suspected the Intendant to be the real landlord of those authorized.

The owners of the other boarding houses weren't very interested in putting up with an omega. The same old arguments were brought up to explain this fact : omegas were unreliable, they lost their jobs too easily, therefore didn't pay regularly, and they attracted the wrong crowd of drunken and noisy alphas. It was all a good excuse to ask for a ridiculously high down payment that Jared couldn't afford.

When it became clear that he wouldn't find what he needed that way, Jared asked Jensen about the Murray inn. It felt a bit like the act of a desperate fool, but he didn't have many options left, and he kept repeating himself that at least Chad hadn't raped him. Maybe Jared could trust his parents.

He felt he was even more interested in this solution when Sheppard reiterated his offer of a private job, adding a bonus in the form of a big room that Jared would enjoy for himself. A room right next to the Intendant's, with a communicating door.

With Jensen's all-clear, Jared went to the inn and asked for Chad's alpha parent. The man was an older copy of his son ; a tired, cranky copy. But he confirmed Chad's promise with a leer that patently said he knew what Jared had done to get this offer. Blushing furiously, Jared swallowed his anger – so much for his honor being safe in Chad's hands – and he got the job.

Once again he had to share a room with another omega. This one was called Emily, she was older and often grumpy, and brought clients to her room just like Julia. The Murrays also turned a blind eye but, contrary to McNally, they seemed to keep a percentage for themselves out of every deal. Chad's mother, a beta, also encouraged Jared to go into the trade, offering to arrange meetings and to give him a better percentage because she was sure Jared would rate higher. No wonder Chad didn't understand why his rite was so wrong.

All in all, it was a rather miserable time for Jared. Jensen always appeared at the o-events, but so tired with the harvest that he could never stay for long. Jared feared he was slowly drifting away from him.

So he didn't really feel sad when his time at Murrays' was cut short very abruptly by the inn burning down to the ground because of a bar brawl that had gone south. No one was killed or majorly burned. Luckily, Jared hadn't had time to take any of his stuff there yet, so he didn't lose anything but his job and an old nightshirt.

Jared was surprised by Julia's arrival as he was still helping some drunk alphas to get out of the inn. News spread fast and help was coming from everywhere. Some in the form of buckets of water thrown on the burning building, some by tending to the few wounded clients. Julia led him away from the crowd as soon as possible.

"Are you hurt ?" she asked, her hands roaming his body to make sure he was alright.

"I'm good, don't worry," Jared replied as he tried to step away from her.

"That's good. Great. Listen, you can come and sleep again in my room until you find a new place, McNally won't mind after the way things have gone down at his own inn."

The offer was kind and tempting, although Jared wasn't sure if it had been made with the afterthought of trying something with him. They hadn't parted ways that friendly, Jared very aware of her interest in him after she had simply thrown herself at him as he was packing his meager stuff. But he had no alternatives, so he chose to state boldly that he still wasn't included in his thanks.

Julia's face turned from annoyed to embarrassed to accepting, and Jared thought then that he could try and share the room with her again. For once, he wasn't the weakest and he knew he could thwart any attempt Julia would make at touching him.

The next day at the ball, Jensen appeared frantic with worry after having heard the news. It soothed Jared better than anything else.

//////////// 

It was back to the job search once again. The fire helped in a way. Some kind souls who had recognized Jared gave him a few things to do now and then, but it was never much, and never for more than a few hours. He was not the only one looking for work and, although he was well-liked, the others needed a chance too, and a few pennies to be able to eat at least once a day. Jared felt bad for taking work away from them, as he still had the possibility to go and eat at the palace for three more days. But he had to be out there and make himself known and appreciated, because he would soon be just like them, all those skinny omegas who hadn't found their mates and lived hand to mouth.

He was so tired at night after walking the streets all day long that he fell on his bed right after dinner and didn't open his eyes again before the sun told him it was time to get up. He could feel that Julia was frustrated by his attitude, but he just didn't care. Not until she decided she needed more and she'd probably never get it unless she took matters into her own hands.

That's how Jared woke up one night, his nightshirt rucked up to his shoulders while Julia sucked his dick, two fingers in his ass playing with his prostate.

It was easy to push her away after he had gathered enough wits to remember he didn't want that, and certainly not with her, not with someone who pretended to be his friend just to use him.

"I can see how much you like that," she explained, all defiance, "the way your cock reacted speaks for your real feelings on the subject. Don't try to tell me otherwise !"

Jared didn't bother objecting for long, she was obviously convinced of her right. She had been screwed by life too many times to realize she was now emulating her aggressors' behavior.

Jared chased her from his thoughts as soon as he was out. He was more upset about the fact that once again he was room-less, and that the previous night had marked the end of his welcome at the palace.

His last hope died in the temple.

"What is the reason of your visit, my son ?" Padre Lehne replied when Jared asked to talk to him in private.

"I'm looking for shelter, Padre. The inn I was living in has burned. It's been two months since I arrived, I don't have a room anymore at the palace, and I'm afraid of the risks if I sleep outside."

The Padre's face lost all benevolence at his words.

"You omegas !" the Padre berated him. "You think you're the only one who came here today to ask for the protection of the gods ? My answer is the same to you as to the others. You're all creatures of Satan, lubricious and damned, but you won't seduce me and I'm not going to let any of you desecrate the house of the gods. Go away ! Leave now, and never come back unless you want to find redemption in marriage, filthy boy."

Alright, that had gone well. Padre Lehne hadn't called the police or cursed him with the wrath of the gods.

Now Jared had to find a bench to sleep on. At least, it was never cold at night in Ismia. And he would see Jensen in less than an hour.

//////////// 

Jensen usually avoided the theatre even more than the balls. The plays made him laugh at the best of times – especially when it wasn't supposed to be funny – or despair of his fellow citizens. It didn't help that Ismia's most respected actor was the terrible, horrible, no-good Mitch Pileggi. The alpha had built his career on playing omegas, both male and female, not minding in the slightest the way he ridiculed them in the process, and he appeared in each and every performance.

Jensen had never understood why omegas weren't allowed on stage. It was just more evidence of the double standard in use in their society. The way they were depicted, by Pileggi as well as any other actor, showed all too well how little respect the gender got from the rest of the population. They were portrayed as weak, often contemptible, cheating whores, the one plot point assured to bring disaster to the alpha hero before he was able, with his superior mind and force, to turn the events over and save the day.

But Jensen couldn't miss this particular performance. The date was a big one for Jared now that his time at the palace had ended. Jensen wanted to be there for him, support him, eventually help him if he had to. He knew Jared wanted to make it all by himself but it just wasn't in Jensen to let him drown alone.

Jared was putting on a brave face, his smile just as bright as any other time when he spotted Jensen, but it was easy to see he didn't fare that well. Jensen would have loved nothing more than take him away right now to listen to him and make him feel better, but Jared had to watch the play. So Jensen invited him to dinner later and proceeded to cheer him up immediately.

It wasn't particularly difficult with the material offered by the play. The omega characters wore the short tunic of the past, something that Jensen would have loved to see on Jared but really didn't suit Pileggi's shaved legs. Merry from the get-go thanks to the hilarious sight, Jared and Jensen only led each other to snicker more and more as emphatic words and dumb plot went by. Most other people in the audience tried to shush them but a few were taken by their contagious laughter, and Pileggi just couldn't ignore them all after a while. His tragic and extremely wordy death, as his character lamented over the harm he had done, wasn't met with the stricken silence he was used to.

When the cast returned to salute the audience, Pileggi's glare towards Jensen and Jared showed his resentment better than any speech.

//////////// 

This was not the last they saw of the pompous actor that night. They were enjoying the first dish of their dinner when a shadow fell upon their restaurant table.

"Alpha Ackles," a voice greeted Jensen.

Jared looked up to see Pileggi standing there, a sneer on his face and a crowd of fans close behind.

"That was another _mind-blowing_ performance you offered us tonight, alpha," Jensen responded pleasantly. "No wonder you're in such demand."

"I'm glad to hear you say so. It seemed to me you were more amused than really affected by my rendition of Camulet's death throes."

"That's entirely my fault, maestro," Jared intervened, "and for that I apologize. I distracted alpha Ackles."

Pileggi eyed Jared just long enough to realize he didn't need to show him much respect.

"I can imagine that," he finally said, and there was a world of allusions in those four words.

Jared blushed brightly, unable to defend himself.

"What my friend here meant," Jensen reacted in a cold voice, "is that he was kind enough to laugh when I voiced my poor opinion of the play and its over-told story. Have a good night, Mister Pileggi."

Contrary to Jared, it was anger reddening Pileggi's face, more resentment for being mocked and dismissed in front of yet another audience by a rich man he couldn't expect to crush under the superiority of his dubious fame. He had no choice but to slink away or make a fool of himself.

Jensen seemed to forget the incident immediately, turning to Jared with a kind smile to pursue their earlier conversation.

"So where do you live now ? Have you found another inn, or a boarding room ?"

"I haven't found anything. The inns are full because of the market and the boarding houses refuse to take omegas in without reference or a big down payment, bigger than I can afford."

"Does it mean you have nowhere to sleep tonight ?"

"I thought I could try and find shelter at the temple, but Padre Lehne said that he won't let omegas like me desecrate such a place. So I'll have to find a bench somewhere and hope not to be arrested by the police, or annoyed by drunken alphas."

"There's no way I'm going to let you do that ! I'm taking you to my house with me tonight after we finish dinner."

"You mean on your island ?"

"Absolutely. I'm not about to let anything bad happen to you if I can do something about it, Jared. You're my guest until we find you a better solution. Is that okay with you ?"

"It's more than okay. You have no idea how afraid I was. You're a real lifesaver !"

"I don't know about that, it's not exactly going to do wonders for your reputation."

"As if I cared about that in my predicament !"

Especially if _you_ know the truth, Jared didn't add out loud. Jensen didn't seem entirely convinced, though, so he went for another reason to ignore the gossip mill.

"Those who are really interested that much in my sex life, or the lack thereof, will be able to smell I'm still a virgin, anyway."

It was all that Jared needed to say to put a smile back on Jensen's face and the decision was made.

The thought was bittersweet : he was going home with his mate.

//////////// 

"Have you ever used a rowing boat ?"

"Not in this lifetime, no."

"I'll teach you tomorrow, in full light, but for tonight, you just sit and let me do all the hard work."

Evenings were always one of the most pleasant moments of the day in the Islands. Temperature still warm but not too hot, Jensen had rolled his sleeves high up his arms to row more easily, and the light of the lantern surrounded him with a surreal glow that gave Jared the opportunity to admire his biceps working to push the dinghy forward.

Jared was seated in front of his mate, his bag at his feet. They had gone to the palace to retrieve a few of his clothes and personal stuff, the rest safely stored in the casket that had to stay there until the day Jared either got married or was sent back to Tethreya.

He still couldn't believe how his luck had turned without warning, nor that he was going to visit his mate's house and stay there for a night at least, that he would see Jensen first thing in the morning and maybe for several hours after that.

The trip lasted about fifteen minutes. The little breeze felt heavenly on his skin and he wished he had the courage to disrobe and plunge into the cool water. Instead, he let his hand follow the current, up until a nasty thought hit him.

"Tell me there's no big beast under the surface ?" he wondered, taking his hand out suddenly.

"I would have told you," Jensen laughed. "Don't worry, this is only freshwater. You can drink it, you can swim, you can even fish if you like that."

"How come this is freshwater when Ismia's harbor opens to the ocean ?"

"We're on the other side of Ismia, which is the biggest island and one of the closest to the continent. In fact, there's only a three-mile-wide river separating Ismia and Visnia, forming the big delta. Then there's this huge and high rocky barrier going from Ismia to the other side of Visnia, protecting the islands from the ocean. Some people guess it was all land before, others imagine on the contrary that it was all water, an extension of the river. We'll probably never know but we don't need to – at least not me – to enjoy the scenery and the blessings the islands offer. I take it you had never come around here yet ?"

"No, this is a first for me. It's so peaceful, it reminds me of the only nice moments during the trip to Visnia. I loved the sea at night. And here at least, I don't have to fear that Captain Pellegrino will come and get me."

The large shape of an island was slowly appearing behind his mate, clearly the direction of Jensen's efforts.

"I realized I never asked about your island's name."

"Tellia," Jensen answered with a proud smile.

"Did you choose it ?"

"Yes. That was my nanny's name when I was a very little boy, and it felt appropriate. Something about its nurturing comfort, you know."

The shadowy shape turned into a more defined but infinite one. In the night, there was no telling how big the island really was, but Jared could already guess that it would take a while to walk around its whole perimeter.

Standing on the pontoon with the help of Jensen, Jared felt the sensation that was missing upon his arrival in Ismia's harbor now grip him instantly : he was home. In the distance, the moon gently lit a long two-story house in a faded light, enhancing its white walls. Jared could follow with his eyes the sweet curves of the French doors currently blocked by heavy wooden shutters. As they walked closer, he wanted to ascertain that the tint of the roof was more auburn than black in the light of day.

"Do you mind if I take you to look around the property tomorrow ?" Jensen answered his private thought as he let Jared walk inside before him. "It's pretty late and I imagine we're both just as tired."

//////////// 

After two months on the ship and two more in the Islands, Jared had gotten used to waking up in foreign places. This one, though, for all he had only seen it in the candlelight, smelled so familiar that Jared once again felt at home. He burrowed into the pillows, firmly bent on enjoying for as long as possible the sensation of the fluffy sheets on his bare skin and the sun flowing through the windows. Jensen's scent was everywhere. Jared had nothing to do, nowhere to go, just relax for the next few hours and take advantage of Jensen's hospitality.

He might have fallen asleep again, and it was the insistent and welcomed odor of food that brought him back to consciousness. His stomach growled and Jared sat in bed, still undecided to move. His bare chest reminded him that he had gone to sleep naked, hoping against hope that Jensen would join him, but he refused to feel bad or disappointed. Nothing should darken the time he got to spend with his mate.

He got up and went to the nearest window. The view was magnificent and plunging, thanks to the house being situated on top of a small hill. A rather bare garden occupied the foreground, inhabited by a few fruit trees, many of them still in full bloom. Behind, acres of rolling land gave away the fact once again that this island was huge – the river was nowhere to be seen on this side – and not completely cultivated. For all Jared knew, Jensen lived here alone. He just couldn't do it all by himself.

Dressed again, Jared left his bedroom in search of his mate. He passed before the door of Jensen's room, tempted to go in but respectful of his benefactor's privacy. Here on the second floor as well as the ground level, every wall was painted white, the darker color of the furniture a stark contrast very pleasant to the eye.

Jared was back to the cozy if large living room they had quickly passed last night on their way to the bedrooms. He spotted an easel and the canvas on it, in front of the opened French door, almost before the more usual elements of such a room, like the two extended couches facing each other. Everything else was set as a satellite around them. The long bookcase that occupied the entire length of the opposite wall attracted his attention right after. Not knowing what else he could do, Jared authorized himself to go and check the books.

On his way there, his eyes met a familiar drawing pinned on a canvas : the stick man and dog next to their squared house that Jared had drawn for Jensen at a ball a few weeks ago. Jared couldn't believe that his mate had kept this little part of himself, a foolish gift that was so very unique and personal. Next to it, a handwritten document, full of dates and places, proved to be the list of the season's o-related events. Jensen had circled the ones he could attend and struck the other ones. Jared had never realized how many times they had seen each other already, and yet he felt constantly as if languishing for his mate.

Jensen found him a few minutes later perusing the books with delight, hoping that Jensen wouldn't mind lending some of them to him when he had to leave.

"Hey, I thought I had heard some noise. Come in, breakfast is ready."

Jensen's smile was true and inviting, no trace of any self-imposed act of charity towards the poor omega that just couldn't deal with the harsh reality of their world. Jared followed Jensen back to the kitchen, another big room where Jared could easily imagine their children running around, making a mess with their food that Jared would more or less patiently tidy up.

He sat at the place indicated, Jensen almost immediately bringing him a plate full of mouth-watering ingredients.

"Eat while it's warm," Jensen commanded, serving a second plate for himself.

As they ate, Jensen explained that he had to go work in the fields for a few hours, then he would be back for lunch. His usual day also included a nap during the hottest hours of the afternoon, then it was back to work until dinner. He hoped Jared wouldn't mind taking a bit of a vacation for two or three days before Jensen was done with the most pressing tasks, and then they could go back to Ismia. It would also give him time to think of a solution about Jared's living quarters. In the meanwhile, Jared was free to use Jensen's house as if it was his. Especially his books, he added with another smile.

That's pretty much how the first day went. Jared enjoyed the silence and calm of the cool, luxurious farmhouse, while Jensen was out in the fields, and he never felt alone thanks to the residual scent of his alpha lingering everywhere. As promised, Jensen quit working earlier than usual to teach him how to row. He explained the principles on land first, and it was weirdly intimate to feel Jensen's hands on his back and arms to correct his moves and positions. It would have been so easy to turn his head, just that way, and to push his lips against Jensen's, to taste him like he had on that first day. But when Jared thought he just couldn't resist that tension anymore, Jensen took him to the water. They laughed so much as Jared had them turning upon themselves for a while and showered them a lot, Jensen letting him find by himself the trick to efficient rowing. After he had mastered the dinghy, they lazily followed the shore to show Jared a bit more of Tellia. He was quickly tired, so Jensen rowed on the way back.

"How big is your island ?" Jared wondered, definitely impressed.

"I don't know for sure. My best guess is more than two hundred square miles, but there was never any complete reconnaissance done. I don't really need one, you know ?"

Jared felt he was treated like royalty on Tellia. He was forbidden to do anything more strenuous than going from one chair to another or holding a book to read. When he protested that he was taking advantage of Jensen's kindness, the alpha offered him a deal.

"There's a simple way to repay me for the lodging and the food. You could be my model."

"Your model ?"

"Yes. I haven't done any portraits for a long, long time, too many people want boring, proper poses, so totally lifeless. But with you as my subject, I know it would feel completely different. Emotions float on your face, I'd love the challenge to materialize them on my canvas. What do you say ?"

Jared never had any intention to say no. It meant staying close to Jensen, it meant watching him doing something he enjoyed. More than anything, it meant that Jensen thought he was interesting enough to want to keep his image, linger on his face and body for whatever length of time needed to catch his likeness. Posing was certainly not a chore as Jensen let him pick a book and simply asked him to read aloud, to tell him the written story as if he was talking about some old friends.

Jared also took the time to wander around the garden. It looked as if there was a plan to it, a construction not yet achieved. No doubt Jensen had a good idea where he was headed with it, and not a lot of time to get it done. Jared sat on Jensen's bench and admired the dwelling fully. In the light of day, the first floor of the farmhouse seemed even longer. The steady weather had allowed Jensen to include big windows everywhere, uncaring of the wind or the cold. He obviously wanted the sun to flood every room while keeping the heat outside as much as possible, thanks to the thick walls and colorful tiles. The inclination of the slate roof also helped in that regard. Hangings brought another touch of color everywhere, blues and greens that diminished the glare of the sun at its highest point.

The second floor didn't match the length of the first one. The bedrooms were there, including the one he had slept in, as well as the adjoining bathrooms. Jensen showed him the other ones later, and even his own, to take him to the balcony that offered the nicest view of the island. Jensen asked him to close his eyes then, and simply smell the land. It felt close to a religious experience, Jensen near him to name the scent of every plant brought up to them by the breeze. Jared was so ready to blurt out loud that it smelled like home.

It turned out that the bookcase in the living room was nothing but a tiny showcase for Jensen's real library. Jared fell in love with that room on the spot. He had never found as much time as he would have liked to spend at the Sheppard's Islands library, wondering after all he had learned about the Intendant if an omega would have been granted the right to access any and all book, but this seemed even better. Jensen didn't allow him to get lost in it, tugging on his arm to finish the visit through more and more rooms than Jared thought were really useful. There was another living room, a dining room, a patio, a game room, Jensen's office… and a special, very secret room, the only one you could get into either from the outside or a separate, closed door in the inside. All the other ones communicated through double-doors that were left open constantly.

"I'm only showing you from the doorstep, because this is my secret garden, my artist den. You can see for yourself that I'm no Bluebeard hiding the bodies of his past mates, just a secretive painter. Use the rest of the house at your discretion, nothing is out-of-bounds to you, except for this room. No one is allowed in but me."

Jared was of course as curious as Bluebeard's mate, but he knew he could live with it.

On the second day, he joined Jensen hard at work on a plot. Still not allowed to do anything, he sat in the shadow of the nearest tree and alternately read or watched his mate weeding out the ground in preparation for a late-spring planting. He did it again the next day. They didn't speak much, but the hours seemed to pass quicker that way.

He dared to ask for a portrait of Jensen on the last evening. The alpha looked surprised, and Jared had to explain that his face also was beautiful, gorgeous even, and incredibly expressive. Jensen kept on sketching Jared when he answered that he had never drawn himself, never even thought about it. Jared wasn't sure if it was the end of the discussion.

He was ready to leave the next morning when Jensen sat him down to talk.

"I have a work proposition for you."

"Really ?"

"Really. You probably realized that the bank's name is the same as mine ?"

"I did, but I never presumed to ask."

"It's all right, you can ask me whatever you want, and my clan indeed owns the bank. As the only representative of the Ackles family in the Islands, I'm bound to do boring stuff, such as signing loads of reports and authorizing payments for the staff. I go into town now and then, but not enough for all the material they want me to go over, so one of the employees has to bring it all to me regularly. He brings everything one day and takes it back the next, and so on. It's a good solution, but it means the employee can't do his own job while he's rowing here and back, or he doesn't have time to come in a few days and I end up with a mountain of documents to go through at once. That's where you could come in and save both him and me a lot of time : I'd like you to be our courier."

Jared gaped at him. This was not an omega job. Dispatch rides were generally handled by betas, alphas taking over in rough spots where muscles might make a difference. No one would entrust an omega with their valued mail or parcels, it would be too easy to steal from them, and no self-respecting omega would agree to go into unknown places where potential danger for their welfare and virginity would be multiplied infinitely.

But this was not any alpha proposing a dangerous job to a naïve omega. This was Jensen, the nicest alpha Jared had ever met, offering him to earn money in an unusual way. And Jared knew he could trust him to do everything to ensure his safety at all times.

Jensen misunderstood his silence.

"I know it's a strange offer, but I swear I'm not trying to offend you. You wouldn't handle any money so you'd be safe. I really need the help, and I know you need the job and you'd be great at it. I would lend you one of my dinghies and you could use it every day, maybe even for other rides if you found more work besides the bank's. Please, tell me you'll accept my offer !"

Jensen presented it in such a way that Jared felt as if he was the one doing the favor by agreeing.

Who was Jared to refuse him anything ?

Before they left the house, Jensen offered him a small parcel with an embarrassed grimace. Jared opened it quickly, heart beating just as fast, to find a charcoal sketch of his alpha wearing the smile Jared loved so much to see on his face, the one he always had when he was looking at Jared.

//////////// 

It was simply painful to say goodbye to Jensen after three days in heaven. He would miss the house too, the peace he had found there, the beauty of the land.

"Jared," Jensen asked for his attention as he was rowing towards Ismia, "I want you to know that my door is always open to you. And this is unrelated to how many times you might come here for work. Whatever happens, at any hour, if you ever feel the need for a friend, you're welcome."

Jared was on the verge of begging Jensen to let him stay forever, to keep him for the rest of their lives. Jensen wouldn't think badly of him for asking, he might even agree because he was too nice for his own good. But it would be nothing like what Jared wanted, nothing like two mates sharing their lives, loving each other day after day. He still stood by his decision, he would seduce Jensen and make him fall in love with him. They would share a real relationship someday, one where both of them would find the same contentment and bliss.

Back at the port, Jensen introduced him to the staff, especially the boat keeper, to tell them that Jared was authorized from now on to use any one of his dinghies whenever he might need them. The same thing happened at the stable, where they took two horses to get to their next appointment. Jared had very little experience with the animals so Jensen chose a cool, grey mare to accommodate him. It felt strange to navigate Ismia's streets from this higher position, other people rushing to free his path, when it was usually the other way around.

Jared recognized the bank he had come to once, to ask about the school building and the possibility for a job. Jensen took him directly to a rich office where they met the director, a very affable and tiny beta called Lauren Tom.

"Lauren, I'm here to introduce Jared Padalecki," Jensen explained to her. "I hired him as my official liaison agent, to shuttle back and forth between the bank and my island every day. It will free your employees of that task, and I'll be sure to get the reports on a daily basis. The bank is allowed to entrust him with any other dispatch ride needed, or to recommend him to trusted clients that we are sure treat omegas with the respect they command. Do you need me or him to sign any form to finalize the deal ?"

"That's a great idea, Jensen. Omega Padalecki, let me welcome you among our staff. To answer alpha Ackles, you are going to fill out an employment form. It's easy and quick, and then you'll be one of us."

It was indeed quick and easy, and Jared filled in the dotted lines while Jensen and Lauren casually conversed. Jensen arranged with the director for his load of documents to be ready every day by the end of the morning, so that Jared could bring them to Tellia around midday. Every other potential course was at her discretion, as long as it took place in full daylight, simple office delivery or mail deposit, nothing that would oblige Jared to go into a house and risk being attacked.

Jared handed the form back to the director who read it, then, once satisfied, told him to be around the next day by nine o'clock. She would introduce him to the bank staff. Her smile when they left was real, not one of those affected upturn of the lips Jared had seen so often in his search for a job.

Their next and last appointment for the day was waiting for them three streets further, at the tranquil and posh boarding house Jensen had found for him. Once again, Jared was introduced, to the landlady this time, a beta so unlike the welcoming Lauren Tom Jared would have laughed if he wasn't afraid to be thrown out immediately. Churlish and mostly mute, she gave the key to Jared's apartment to Jensen and let them walk to the second floor without another word. Jared was pretty sure she wasn't happy to have to admit an omega to her place, and he wondered how much Jensen had had to pay to get over her reluctance.

//////////// 

His life had changed radically. It was as though worries had fallen from his shoulders, and he felt so much lighter, so much happier. Of course, Jared couldn't lie to himself, this improvement was due for the most part to the daily opportunity to see Jensen and talk with him. It was a very rare occurrence when the alpha didn't invite him to share lunch before he let Jared get back to Ismia. Sometimes, when Jared had nothing more to do, he would simply follow Jensen to the plot of the day and keep on chatting with him leisurely.

There were a few clouds on the horizon, like his landlady finally finding her voice to tell him straight that he would be out at the first problem, or his worry about never being able to reimburse Jensen for all he done for him – it was just impossible that his rent would be so cheap, Jensen had to pay for a part of it – but it was small fry next to his previous anguish about life and work.

As he brought the mail of the day, Jared was surprised once to find Jensen lying on one of his couches, his face scrunched in a painful expression.

"It's nothing," Jensen lied to reassure Jared, but he was still not moving. "I hurt my back yesterday and I stupidly fell asleep on the couch, which didn't help in the slightest, and now I'm kind of stuck. I just have to wait for my vertebrae to pop back in place."

"Alright. And if they don't ?"

"I guess I'll have to hire you as a nurse, then."

"Stupid alphas and their egos ! You said yourself the couch didn't help, what do you think will happen if you stay here longer ?!"

"I'm going to be properly chastised by a very annoyed omega ?" Jensen hypothesized.

"That too. Come on, I'm going to help you to your bed, and then I'll make you something to eat."

The trip to the second floor was arduous and painful for Jensen, and kind of heavenly for Jared. He felt bad for enjoying so much the close proximity to his alpha in these circumstances, but there was no denying the simple scent was affecting him more than any intimate caress from all the other people who had taken the liberty to touch him in the previous months.

It kept getting better as he had to help Jensen out of most of his clothes and into his bed. Jensen asked that he open the French doors entirely, so that he could at least enjoy the scenery from his place. They shared a light meal and chatted a bit before Jared had to go back to work.

"Is it okay if I come back later to check on you ?"

"You don't need to, but it's very okay. Hours count double when you can't move, it's been scientifically proven."

"I'm no scientist but I'm pretty sure that's not true."

"Go and ask, you'll see that I didn't lie."

"Very well, I'll ask my friend Katie, she knows everything when it comes to science. Prepare to look like a fool, alpha !"

Three days in, and able to stand up again but still aching, Jensen asked Jared to bring him back a few fresh goods from the market, and that's how he came up with the idea to entrust Jared with another task : his shopping. He said it would free even more of his time, that time so hard to find, something that he really could use on the crops, or to paint when the farm work eased, and Jared was happy to help and get a raise.

//////////// 

Everything had gone great at first. Jared only had to follow Jensen's instructions to retrieve from his usual vendors the goods he had ordered the previous week, and then pass on the next order. With Jensen's signature, and apparently a bit of the gossip-mill effect, all sellers were happy to deal with him in place of his boss.

And then Jared had seen him. Alpha Nemec, showing off behind his stall, playing the good farmer. Trying to pass as a decent, likeable man.

Stall 38. He was on Jensen's list. Jared would do anything for Jensen, but he just couldn't go nearer to the man who had almost raped him at the McNally's inn.

//////////// 

"Jensen," Jared stuttered once he was back on Tellia with Jensen's shopping, "I'm sorry, but I failed."

"What do you mean ?" Jensen asked, with worry in the face of his strange demeanor.

"I got your list, but I couldn't get it all. Well, yes, I could, but just not the way you told me to."

Jared was agitated and he didn't make much sense. Jensen took him by the arm and led him to the couch, where he sat the omega. Then Jensen offered him his own glass of water, giving him time to settle and calm down.

"So now tell me, what frightened you so much ?"

"I'm sorry," Jared repeated. "I saw that vendor at the market and I just couldn't go to him as if I didn't know who he was and what he was capable of, so I went to another vendor, an omega, and he accepted to let me buy on credit when I told him your name, he was thrilled to work for you. I swear his vegetables are perfect."

"I'm sure they are, Jared. Now tell me, who's that man you didn't want to get near to, and what has he done to frighten someone as brave as you ?"

The question stopped Jared in his tracks, and Jensen feared he would bolt and leave. He took the omega's hands in his, a gesture he knew to always help Jared to focus and forget everything else, as if he could sense through some magical bond all the feelings Jensen couldn't share.

"Do you remember when I told you that I had to leave the inn because an alpha had accused me of coming on to him ?"

Jensen nodded, already seeing where this was going.

"The vendor was that alpha, and the truth is that he tried to rape me. My boss saved me just in time, but he had to let me go because the man had said it was all my fault and my boss didn't want to risk losing a good patron."

There were unshed tears in Jared's eyes, the ones of a man who has been through too much already and wonders when it will stop, when he'll get a break and manage to be happy at last.

Hand-holding was not enough here, it was time for bigger gestures. Jensen put his arms around Jared's shoulders and let both their bodies rest along the back of the cushy couch, comforting his omega with warmth and tenderness.

//////////// 

Jensen sailed to Ismia a few days later. His plans were made.

He had assured Jared that the vegetables he had bought were great, better than the ones he used to buy, and that he was grateful for his initiative. The omega had left in a far better mood, knowing that he hadn't lost his job and that Jensen didn't think worse of him for this other misadventure.

Once alone, Jensen had gone to his files to check he wasn't mistaken as to the vendor's identity. The man was indeed an alpha, single, and with no will to change that state as long as he could enjoy some omega's company once in a while. He was also a good farmer on paper, but one who was in debt up to his eyes because he had to hire a helper to do the hard work he was incapable of, preferring to drink his profits and serenade defenseless omegas when he traveled each week to Ismia to sell his produce. Rape was not mentioned as a side activity, but Jensen guessed the attack on Jared was not the first one to occur.

The bank had been understanding so far, but it was time to cash in Mr. Nemec's debts.

Jensen sent to the bank's acting director a detailed note with his orders. The farmer was to be summoned immediately – by an alpha courier, of course – to discuss a way to reimburse his loans right now or give up his concession to the bank. Jensen already thought of giving that concession to the helper who had done such a good job with the farm, if, and only if, the man proved to be a better alpha than the previous owner.

It happened exactly as programmed. Unbeknownst to Nemec, Jensen attended to the meeting thanks to the one-way mirror he had had installed in the director's office for these kind of encounters. Lauren Tom was perfect in such situations, and far better than Jensen felt he would have been in this particular case. He wanted to smash the guy's head, whereas Lauren, who didn't know Jared that well, would put to good use her beta and feminine qualities for this meeting. Jensen had brought her with him from Tethreya, right from the beginning, knowing what an asset she would be after she had worked as his assistant for a little while at the main bank. She proved once again how right he had been.

She kept her distance and talked in an impassionate way that spoke of her professionalism, summing up Nemec's history and debts in the Islands to get to the logical conclusion. The farmer cried, blustered, promised everything and anything, until he understood the decision was out of his hands and he'd better accept the offered deal that saved his sorry ass from a very long prison sentence.

The prison he found himself taken to anyway, right after he had signed the handover documents. Jensen was not about to let him roam the city while angry and hopeless, ready to attack any omega, maybe even Jared again. Sheppard saw no problem at all with detaining the man for a few weeks until the next ship would leave for the mainland. It would certainly help Nemec to remember he was persona non grata in the Islands.

Jensen's only regret was to not be able to explain clearly what had motivated the alpha's downfall. It was probable that such a man had already forgotten Jared, as well as any omega he might have succeeded in raping, but Jensen didn't want to single Jared out and chance the risk of putting him in danger.

It felt good to send Jared to the market the next time, knowing that his omega would never have to deal with that scum anymore.

//////////// 

Jared had approached the market like a wild beast ready to devour him. Only his need to be worthy of Jensen's trust had imparted him with the courage to go on.

His surprise wasn't feigned when he failed to see Nemec at his former stall. He was so certain it implied that the alpha had moved to another place that he was all jittery until he heard a bit of gossip telling how the man had been summoned by the bank, then escorted to the prison, waiting for his trip back to the mainland.

It all seemed clearer to Jared. Jensen had once again downplayed his own importance.

Jared related the facts he had learned today to the questions he had tried to ignore about his current job.

Even with the continuous growth of the Islands' population, it was impossible that such a high volume of documents had to pass through the hands of a non-employee for a simple signature.

There was only one possibility : Jensen was still the real director of the bank, as well as the man who had made Jared's life so much easier while respecting his pride and his need to provide for himself.

//////////// 

Jared hadn't heard about Katie since they both had to leave the palace. She had been quite secretive then, parting ways on the promise that she would be alright. Jared was far too worried about his own fate to pry.

Now she stood in front of Jared, telling him that he had become quite the celebrity among omegas by landing a posh apartment as well as a great job, and helped by the most desired alpha of the Islands. There was no insulting innuendo in her words, so Jared let it go.

"But I come bearing even better news," Katie added, her smile growing impossibly bigger. "I'm getting married !"

She was so excited that she just jumped and put her arms around Jared's neck.

He was happy for her. Truly, he was.

"I need you to be my o-witness. You're my only friend here, so you have to say yes. Please say yes, Jared !!!"

Her excitement was too amusing to resist, especially when she added that he needed to bring a date. He knew exactly who he wanted to ask, and he was not above begging to get Jensen to come with him.

A tall and dark alpha appeared at Katie's side. She looked so tiny next to him, and so happy.

"Jared, this is Rick, Rick Worthy. Rick, this is my old friend Jared, we grew up together and he has been the voice of my conscience many a time."

"A quite difficult task, I'm sure," alpha Worthy teased her.

He turned an amicable smile towards Jared.

"I'm glad to know you, Omega. Katie told me a lot about you already, I know how important you are to her."

Alpha Worthy was one of the small settlers, his island about thirty-five minutes from Ismia. Katie had spent a lot of time there during the past weeks, getting to know better the man who had asked for her hand while chaperoned by his mother. They had only come into town today to arrange for the marriage.

They left him with the date and place where they expected him to show up in the company of his date, and Jared decided to go ask Jensen right away.

The farmhouse was closed, but Jensen had left a note saying what plot he was working on. Jared hesitated only a fraction of a second to go looking for the alpha. He had to find him now or he would lose his nerve.

He found Jensen exactly where the note had said, about two miles south of the house, tending to his crop. The alpha stopped working when he saw him, drinking water from his gourd while waiting for Jared to come nearer.

"Hey, Jensen."

"Good to see you," Jensen replied, offering him the gourd. "What brought you so far into the land ?"

"I've got mail for you, but I needed to ask you something."

"Alright, tell me."

Jensen's whole demeanor was welcoming and open, yet Jared couldn't help feeling intimidated. He had never invited an alpha on a date before and, although this particular one would probably applaud such a twist in propriety on principle, it still didn't mean that he would accept the invitation. Jared drank more water and swallowed to give himself a bit of courage.

"I met my friend Katie this morning, and she told me that she's getting married. She invited me, I'll be her o-witness, but she also said that I need to bring a date. And I can't think of anyone but you. I don't want to give you a wrong impression, but you're the only person here that I really know and appreciate, and I'm sure it will be fun and that you'll like my friend…"

Jensen cut him off with a laugh.

"Okay, I'm not saying no, Jared. But first thing first, when's the wedding ?"

Jared deflated a bit and sighed, a lot of his self-imposed tension leaving his body.

"Oh, yes, sorry. It's not this Sunday, but the next one. Are you free ?"

"As far as I remember, yes. And who's the happy groom ?"

"My gods, I'm so scatterbrained ! Alpha Worthy, Rick Worthy. I've only just met him but he seems like a nice guy, quite serious and circumspect. Do you know him ?"

"A little bit. I went once or thrice to help with the harvest on his island, just like he came to help with mine. He never spared himself. As you said, he seemed nice, and reliable. I'm sure your friend chose wisely."

"So this is settled ? You'll be my date ?"

"I will, and I'm sure we'll have lots of fun."

Jensen dried with his short sleeve the sweat running down his temples. It attracted Jared's attention to the biceps bulging through the movement.

"What time is it ?" Jensen asked, much more practical and oblivious to Jared's lusty stare.

The alpha looked at the sky to find the sun but shrugged soon after. Jared wasn't sure if it meant that he wasn't good at reading time through the sun's position or if he just didn't care.

"I'm sure it's lunchtime somewhere in the world," Jensen decided. "And since I just agreed to help you in this pressing matter, you, my friend, now owe me one. You'll have to share this lunch with me and keep me company before we're quits."

//////////// 

It was kind of frighteningly easy to get into that boarding house at night. The lock was a joke, Chad had picked it in less than ten seconds. The steps were politely silent, and the names of the lodgers helpfully indicated on their doors.

Chad had been sitting in Jared's bedroom for the better part of half an hour, and the sun was high enough by now that he was able to see the sleeping omega's body perfectly. Jared already had the sheets pushed away when Chad came in, and he had only had to slide the nightshirt up to his shoulders, gently, to admire the long legs and the toned back, not to mention the ass he had already touched upon their first meeting. Seeing those tantalizing cheeks again, Chad had been unable to resist the need to bend and kiss each of them in turn, lingeringly.

Jared turned over, offering to Chad's contemplation the other side of his body. The nightshirt was stuck by the middle of Jared's torso, so Chad got up and sat on the side of the bed to uncover the top of the omega's chest and get a closer view. He was just as attractive that way, tiny nipples half-hard, just like his cock. Jared was having a very sweet dream, and Chad was loath to break it.

Jared's right hand came up to encircle his dick, loosely at first, then more fiercely, his balls following every move. Jared moaned, murmuring a name Chad couldn't catch, and then his legs drew up, threatening to hit Chad on their way, who was still bent over the omega to keep the nightshirt off his body.

Chad twisted his own body to be able to take in all the details when the omega brought his other hand to his hole, driving three fingers inside himself at once and making Chad wince in sympathy. That had to hurt. But once again, a name passed Jared's lips, something beginning by Jen maybe. Hard to tell, lost in harsh moans of mixed pleasure and pain. And Chad only knew Jen as a girl's name but it was difficult to believe, considering what he was witnessing right now, that Jared was pining for a dick-less mate.

Maybe he could help Jared with this, offer his own cock as a tool for Jared's experimentations ; no harm, no fool, no bond, no mating. Just play a game, a thorough cleaning of the pipes without knotting, and everyone feeling better afterwards. Chad preferred betas himself, he loved to break their calm and reserve, turn them into a blithering mess, but he wouldn't mind a bit of sharing. He was young after all, and experience was a priority to become a masterful alpha.

The moans escalated in time with all Jared's moves. The hand stripping his cock got rougher and quicker, while a fourth digit was added to the pack breaching the omega's rim. Then Jared's body seized up, the clear, sperm-less fluid of an omega fountaining out of his dick to land on his upper chest.

All the signs were there even before he saw Jared coming, but Chad only put them together now : the omega had found his mate. His body was calling out for him, bereft in his absence, and actively seeking a release that wouldn't be needed otherwise. It was highly probable that Chad's offer of help wouldn't be appreciated in such circumstances.

Jared slowly opened his eyes, no understanding or questioning passing through them at first. Then the omega finished waking up and the presence of an alpha in his room at dawn finally registered.

A cry escaped Jared's mouth, but Chad didn't have time to do anything about it before the omega controlled himself. Chad knew why. It was certainly unfair, Jared hadn't invited him, but everyone would blame Jared for Chad's presence in case he was to be found here, not the other way around.

Jared's eyes darted around the room swiftly, taking in the scent as well as his position, the nightshirt Chad was still holding up above his shoulders to keep him naked, the o-jizz staining his torso, the fingers still buried in his ass. The poor guy turned a deep shade of crimson and tears pooled in his eyes.

"Please," he whispered, "let me go, don't hurt me."

"Alright," Chad agreed, "I won't if you just let me look at you all naked."

Jared hesitantly nodded, as if unsure of Chad's good faith.

"So take your shirt off," Chad pushed his luck, a bit annoyed by Jared's reluctance. He had only ever been faithful with the omega, no need to make him feel like a leech.

Trembling, Jared sat on the bed after withdrawing his fingers from his ass. He took the hem of the nightshirt in both hands and raised the garment above his head. Chad took it from him and used it to wipe the omega's chest of the clear come that was slowly trickling down, making him pure and immaculate again.

He pushed Jared to lie back down on the bed, spreading his legs to enjoy the whole picture. Jared was awfully tense, still as red as before, and ready to bolt and fight. Chad felt annoyance overcoming him once again.

"Don't look at me as if I were a monster ! I came here to help."

"Really ? Doesn't seem like it so far. Who's naked and helpless ?"

That was more like the Jared Chad remembered, and okay, he could kind of see his point of view. But Chad wasn't the bad guy here, on the contrary.

"I'm here to warn you not to accept a particular job that will be offered to you today. One of my guys was given a very big tip to pass on to you an address where you are to take delivery of a parcel. But this is only a trap. You'll be forced into the house and then raped by the alpha instigator of the plan."

"How do you know all this ?" Jared wondered, trembling anew.

"I have my sources. You can't be Alpha of Ismia's biggest street clan if you don't know shit."

"And do you know who's the instigator ?"

"Nothing definite, but the man who tipped my guy reeked of Sheppard's police…"

The omega's eyes widened in fear. Chad had heard enough about the Intendant to know that this probably wasn't the first nor the last time he would try to trap Jared, so he made a note to have all his informants on alert for news about the pretty boy, who certainly didn't deserve to end in a brothel because the most powerful and corrupted man of the Islands had taken a fancy to him. He liked the omega enough, despite his trust issues, to try and protect him as much as possible.

Especially if the rumors about the real reason why his parents' inn had burned down were true. Chad would make sure the Intendant never put his filthy hands on the pretty omega he wanted so much.

"Thanks," Jared said with gratitude in his eyes. "What do I owe you for this information ?"

Here was the mistrust again ! Chad had only come to him to repay the debt he owed the omega thanks to whom he had become leader of his street clan.

But now it seemed that the omega needed a quick lesson in trust.

"The price is not that high. I just ask for ten kisses on whatever part of your body I want."

"Maybe I could do a few free deliveries for you," Jared proposed instead. "You decide how many, and I'll do it."

"I have my clan for that. No, the price is as I said : ten kisses and I'm off."

Jared didn't answer right away, but Chad knew he had already won. The omega was as trustworthy as he mistrusted others. He would agree, because he couldn't let Chad go without repaying him, even after the humiliation of their first encounter.

A slight nod signaled once again this agreement.

Jared turned his head to look at the wall while Chad bent to land the first kiss on his right nipple, sucking lightly on it until he felt it rise to attention. The second nipple received the same treatment, plus a soothing lick that had Jared pushing him away furiously.

"That was two," Jared counted, "and please keep your word."

With a chuckle, Chad bent down further to reach Jared's beautiful cock. Chad would have liked to see it again fattened with desire, to feel the vein bulge and the blood run under his lips, but a new erection was unlikely so soon after the previous one and with only eight kisses to go. Eight kisses he wanted to use wisely on other parts of the omega's anatomy. So he spent only three of them on the cock, applying the last one to the tip. This time, it was instinct that had Chad's tongue coming out to taste the pearly fluid remaining in the slit.

Jared pushed him again, but Chad wasn't ready to let go this time. As long as his lips were attached to the crown, the kiss wasn't over, and he sucked for a long while, feeling the cock harden against the omega's will and despite his own worries.

He aimed for the right ball as soon as his mouth left the dick that was standing by itself now, without the help of Chad's hands that had come to play on their own.

"Take your hands off !" Jared ordered between two loud breaths.

Chad did it, only to use his hands to spread Jared's thighs wider and get better access to his balls, as well as a better view of his twitching hole. The omega was aroused, there was no denying it, and Chad was more than ready to help him with his condition. Jared only had to ask.

Once the two balls had been sucked into his mouth for two deep kisses, Chad took a few seconds to think of the better way to proceed. Jared's hole was blinking at him like this, his slick an enchanting perfume gliding down his crack, but the view of his gorgeous ass was not the best.

"Turn over," Chad ordered, "and keep your legs under you, your ass raised for me."

With a furious look and the count of seven, Jared complied. Chad could kind of understand his anger, the position probably reminded him of their first experience together, and it was humiliating at the best of times. But it allowed for the perfect view of the ass Chad wanted to replay as in his memories.

"Spread your legs wider," he commanded, and something snapped in him when Jared obeyed, unable to resist the needs of his body like any good little omega.

Chad's lips landed on the left cheek to begin with, mouth open to let his tongue trail in its wake as they traveled across the whole expanse of soft and highly sensitive skin.

"Not your tongue," Jared kept on saying, but Chad didn't care.

To prevent Jared's escape, Chad brought his hands to the omega's hips and kept him in place while his mouth used his ninth, lingering wet kiss on the second buttock.

The tenth kiss was certainly the biggest deal of all. With his thumbs, he kept Jared's ass cheeks apart and went for the kill. Sliding from the top of the crack to the place where Jared's balls hung in full view, Chad's lips crossed the perineum again to get back to the rim opening regularly to let the slick get out. Here again, he sucked like a madman, mouth closed around the hole and tongue pushing in. Jared's feeble resistance was futile against the power of an alpha.

The scent was heady so Chad drank longer than he had expected. Longer than Jared expected too, obviously, as the omega didn't react before a few long seconds when Chad backed off after having brought himself to completion with only three strokes of his own hand.

Then Jared was all quick moves to sit back against the headboard at the far end of the bed and hide his shame behind a pillow.

"Don't worry," Chad assured him as he finished tucking his cock back in his breeches and then stood up, "your secret's still safe with me."

After using Jared's nightshirt to clean his hand, Chad decided it was time to leave. He slowly opened the door, taking a look down the hall before going out. He hadn't taken all these precautions to be caught at the last minute. But the whole house was still sleeping, and Chad was able to get away just as discreetly. The city was beginning to wake up, the animation still restricted to a few shops. The air was nicely scented, the heat very reasonable at this early hour.

He licked his lips again, and Jared's flavor exploded on his palate.

Chad grinned. Yeah, he would have to try an omega out someday. It might not be that bad after all.

//////////// 

The errand Jared had just completed for the bank had brought him to the harbor. He hadn't seen the place since his arrival, and he had taken great care to not ever find himself alone with sailors on a deserted crate-filled street. After the unexpected and frightening reappearance of Chad, Jared didn't want to take any risk.

Still, he was curious by nature, and the sight of the dockworkers hoisting, with the help of ropes and a huge pulley, some crates that had to be at least five times heavier than a normal alpha was able to hold had stopped him for a while. He had watched them piling crate after crate, until something else entirely caught his attention.

Two parallel lines of prisoners marched right past them, ankles and wrists chained, led by six soldiers and Captain Richings. Jared realized as they passed by him that the prisoners were all omegas. Male or female, they looked defeated and exhausted, as if all hope had abandoned them. They also looked unkempt, their clothes appallingly disgusting. It was clear they had had to walk for a while, but there was no telling what kind of other tortures they had endured.

"Who are they ?" he asked one of the dockworkers.

"Ends of grace."

Jared's blank stare encouraged the alpha to go on.

"Casket boys and girls who have come to the end of their King's grace without finding someone to marry. They're brought back to the mainland."

"But… it's humiliating. They're treated like prisoners. Like criminals !"

"You're right, lad. But that's the way it is."

The man shot him a penetrating look.

"You should prepare yourself," he added.

Never, Jared thought. Never would he give One-Leg the pleasure to see him again on his ship. He'd rather slit his own throat.

//////////// 

It was a little bit annoying to see Katie shake Jensen's hand – an alpha's hand – without skipping a beat, as if she had done that kind of thing her whole life, when Jared knew for a fact that she hadn't. She always took everything in stride, the good and the bad, and that was probably why she was the one marrying her alpha when Jared was only friends with his true one.

It was even more annoying that Jensen was just as much of a charmer with Katie as he was with Jared.

"Did they only raise beautiful people in that orphanage of yours ?"

But then it was satisfying for once not to be the only one blushing. Jared wanted to kiss Jensen. To thank him or to stake his claim, he wasn't sure. Good thing Katie was to be married and become unavailable in the next few minutes. Even better, she was already mated and out-of-bounds, Jared could smell it.

It didn't mean he had to like her answer.

"Then you would have been right at home," she replied with a wink.

As soon as the other couple arrived – alpha Worthy's best alpha and her date, people that Jensen seemed to know vaguely – they all followed the fiancés into the temple. The Padre who had refused Jared the shelter of the place not that long ago was the one officiating. His sermon was all-purpose, probably used for all ceremonies he presided at, with no changes but the names of the bride and groom.

But seeing the happiness of his friends' faces, Jared thought he wouldn't mind marrying Jensen like that if it meant spending the rest of his life with his mate.

Still as welcoming, Padre Lehne pushed them towards the exit as soon as the wedding was over, freeing the temple for mass. They walked slowly to the restaurant where Rick had reserved a table for six. There would probably be, sometime later, a bigger feast to celebrate the wedding, and maybe the first child of the couple, a gathering of their neighbors and friends to which everyone would contribute, but today was supposed to be an opportunity for the people just married to reflect on their shared goals and divergent purposes.

Still, the lunch was an amicable moment that they all enjoyed and used to get to know each other.

"So Katie," Jensen asked, his tone alerting Jared immediately, "what can you tell me about Jared ? You grew up together, was he always so wise and perfect ?"

"It's true he always had a good head on his shoulders, but that doesn't mean he never pulled pranks or didn't contribute to his fair share of silly things."

"Oh please, do tell."

"That's not fair, Jensen," Jared intervened, "I can't ask anyone about you. Katie, shut up !"

Alpha Rick was watching them with a benevolent smile, intervening only to put a protective arm around Katie's shoulders. They were just married and already the man felt bound to show his support to his wife in a friendly spat. Jared longed for Jensen to do the same, to put his arms around him to let him feel his force and his love.

"I remember the day," Katie began, "when Jared left the orphanage on his own. He must have been six at most and he was such a cute little thing."

"So he _was_ once little ?" Jensen interrupted her with amusement. "He didn't just spring out of his omega parent's thigh or head, as tall as today and fully equipped for life ?"

Mythology wasn't Katie's forte but she seemed to get the allusion, so Jared let it go with a gentle slap on Jensen's arm.

"Indeed," Katie responded. "He was even smaller than me, if you can believe it. After all, I am one year older – and smarter – than him."

"Why did he leave the orphanage ?"

"He had just learned about true mates, and had come up with the absolute certainty that his mate was waiting for him, somewhere in Tethreya. So he had packed and left to find him. Padre Jim, the orphanage's director, found him a few days later not that far from home, still going through the streets, looking for his elusive alpha. He had a sign hanging around his neck that read something like "I'm Jared and I'm ready for my alpha." He had been lucky enough to be fed and lodged by some nice neighbors, who had alerted the orphanage when they realized who he was."

Jared was hiding behind his hands. Of course Katie had to choose that old, stupid story, her not so subtle way of trying to push Jensen or him to talk about their relationship. She had to be consumed by curiosity.

"Katie ! I was six, I was not responsible for what I did."

"You say that, and yet here you are in Ismia, five thousand miles away from Tethreya, trying to find your mate."

Everybody laughed, even Jared, whose face was half-masked behind his bangs. The omega suddenly felt Jensen's hand brushing the top of his head to comfort him, and he couldn't help but melt against his mate's body. He turned to look at Jensen with a private smile that was given back. Jensen's hand then slid behind his back to settle where his arm was stopped by the back of the chair. And he left it there, fully open against Jared's shoulder blade, sharing warmth and support with his omega.

They were not mated, but Jared had never felt so close to getting everything he had ever dreamed of. Hopefully, Katie and Rick would demonstrate to Jensen that marriage was not something to fear.

//////////// 

The envelope said "to be delivered by hand at the garrison command, office 68." The tip was great so Jared didn't entertain the thought of refusing for even one second. He should have guessed there was something fishy about the _by hand_ mention, though. Anything really secret would have been handled through the internal army mail services, but Jared was too trusting of the uniform when the guy stopped him in the street to say he needed him to deliver his letter as soon as possible.

The trap was set and Jared ran into it with both eyes open and complete confidence. He realized his mistake when the door of office 68 closed behind him and Jared found himself in front of Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

He had so far buried his last encounter with Chad that the risk of another trap had escaped him. He was nothing but a stupid omega, he had to admit it now. He might have escaped Sheppard – momentarily ? – but he was now at Morgan's mercy by his own stupidity.

"Jared," Morgan greeted him, "please come in. I'm sorry I had to use a subterfuge to see you, but you never gave me a chance to explain what happened after our date, and I promise I will behave the way you wish me to."

Jared hesitated. It was true he had completely ignored the commandant's frequent messages and pleas for a meeting, his demands to be listened to and forgiven. He felt too embarrassed for one. But first and foremost, he had no desire to see the man again, even if a more calculating part of him refused to sever their link entirely, to keep the commandant as a fallback in case Jensen never saw reason.

"I have a fairly good idea about what happened, Commandant. We were drugged and we acted in such indecent ways that it's beyond me to enjoy any reminder of that fateful night. Consequently, you'll understand why I prefer to avoid you."

"I do understand. Really, Jared, I do, but I want, no, I need to assure you that I had nothing to do with this altered state we both suffered. Please, come here, I'd like to show you something."

Jared took in the office. There was no heavy curtain hiding a bed, no handcuff lying casually ready to be used on him. Morgan looked sincere, and he kept to the other side of his behemoth of a desk.

"Jared, sweet boy, I know we're not true mates, but I've come to enjoy your company and long for it as much as my body is attracted to yours. And I guess you're not completely repelled by my appearance, if what happened in my house is any indication. No, don't blush, I know we were both under this plant's spell. You have no reason to feel bad ; on the contrary, you showed me your true soul that night, and I find myself wanting to see more."

Jared was indeed blushing, but he couldn't help snorting. His soul, right ! More like his bottom, and everything else for good measure. Trust a gentleman like the commandant to use flowery words to describe that scene retrospectively. Gods, Jared was so disappointed in himself. He knew he had no responsibility in the turn of events, but Morgan was the third alpha to see him naked, the fourth man if he counted that beta doctor, Benedict, who had made him feel like a piece of meat – and he definitely refused to add to the count all those who had seen him during Chad's rite of passage. One too many to touch him far too intimately since he had found his mate, and the very thought of his dishonor made him feel sick.

"Here," Morgan said, holding a long box to open it and show its contents to Jared.

Inside lay some pretty, innocuous flowers. The pale yellow shade of their petals topped strong, bottle-green stems covered with hairs.

"I don't understand. Is it a gift ?" Jared asked, stroking the silky petals.

"It could be, but no, this is the culprit for our ruined date. Papaver Virginiensis, a.k.a. virgins' poppy. Thus named because the omega virgins who smell this flower with their beloved will find themselves mated soon after. Virginiensis is the goddess of mating."

Jared did know that, but now wasn't the time to remind the commandant that being an omega didn't mean being completely uneducated.

"But there was no flower on our table," he recalled instead. "How did we get affected ?"

"Remember that divine sauce we enjoyed so much ? It was the main ingredient. Considering how much we ate, we might think ourselves lucky we didn't take our clothes off right down in the restaurant."

The commandant offered Jared a hesitant smile that disappeared quickly when he saw the omega falter.

"Jared ? Are you unwell ?"

"Are you trying to trick me again ?" Jared accused, feeling weaker by the second.

"No, I swear."

"But you made me smell it, and now I feel hot and…"

Jared looked down at his crotch to see his cock fattening and quickly rising up. Then he found himself held in Morgan's arms before he was gently laid on the desk.

"I swear, Jared, the flowers were cut many days ago, and kept in the box since then. They shouldn't affect you like that. I've smelled them myself, and I'm not affected."

"But you're not…"

Words eluded him, the need to touch himself too overwhelming.

"You're not a virgin omega," he forced out as he pushed his breeches and undergarment down to take his cock in his hand.

He felt a strange fire burning inside him, this need to be taken and loved he usually felt only with Jensen. He had to touch himself.

"Let me help you," Morgan pleaded.

"No," Jared denied him in a whisper. "I don't want you to touch me."

But Jared's frenzy had reached the commandant by now, who began to kiss his face and his lips while his hands couldn't seem to settle on one place, exploring Jared's body with the same lack of a plan as his mouth.

The effect was still less potent than the night in the commandant's mansion. Jared knew where he was, and that he didn't want Morgan to touch him like that. He needed the physical release but didn't enjoy it at all. Even that need was diminishing quickly, living behind a hollow feeling that had him pushing Morgan away before the door of his office opened after a quick knock. Then Captain Richings' voice interrupted his commanding officer.

"I'm sorry, Commandant," Richings said, taking in the sight of Jared half-naked and Morgan half-lying over him. "We thought we heard you tell us to come in."

The groan Morgan had released could have passed for an assent, Jared had to admit it. But it didn't explain why Richings and the soldier accompanying him had to stay there and watch him fumbling to cover himself, hindered by an amorous alpha hell-bent on keeping him as bare as possible.

Neither Richings nor the other soldier offered any help at all to the omega fighting to get free, but the commandant calmed down eventually, standing up and letting go of Jared.

"What do you want, Captain ?" Morgan grumbled, serving himself a big draft of whiskey, probably to occupy his still-trembling hands.

"You asked to be apprised of the prisoners' fates, Commandant. The matter is done, the judge has ruled in favor of death by hanging. Brown here is just back from the tribunal, if you want more details."

"Later," the commandant dismissed them without a look.

Morgan didn't turn back to Jared immediately after the soldiers had gone. They were both breathing heavily and needed to get themselves fully under control before they could look at each other again.

"Sweetheart," Morgan began tentatively, "I hope you will believe me when I tell you my intentions were pure when I arranged for this meeting today. I find myself having to apologize again, but this incident only proves to me what I've thought for a while already."

Morgan came to stand in front of him, offering Jared no opportunity to refuse when he took hold of his hand again or to get down from the desk he was still sitting on.

"I know, though I don't understand why," the commandant continued, "that you've been interested in alpha Ackles. But as far as I can smell, contrary to the rumors, he has made no move to mate you, am I right ?"

"No, he hasn't," Jared was forced to admit, voice drowning in sadness.

"So I feel even more compelled to do this," Morgan said as he applied a feverish kiss to Jared's hand. "Jared Padalecki, will you consent to become my mate and give me your body, to live by my side for the rest of our lives, to serve me while I protect you, to be my dutiful lover and my faithful ally in times of need ?"

Jared felt kind of blindsided. He should have known, but somehow, the way their date had gone had persuaded him that Morgan wasn't serious about their relationship, that, like so many other alphas, he only wanted to get into Jared's breeches. But here they were, Morgan devouring his hand just like he had done pretty much every other time they had chatted, and Jared pressed to make a decision he wasn't ready for.

Who was he kidding ? He knew who he wanted, knew that he wouldn't abandon hope before his last day in the Islands, probably not even before he died. He could have loved the commandant, maybe, if only Jensen hadn't crossed his path. He would have lived a good life as the companion of one of the most important alphas of the region, his children would have grown up wealthy and respected. Without Jensen, Jared could have tried to ignore Morgan's flaws and his opinion about omegas. But there was no way to do that after meeting his true alpha and falling so deeply in love with him.

"I'm sorry, Commandant…" he began to answer, taking his hand back.

"Jared, think about it, don't say no without a good reason."

"I have a good reason. You were right about Jensen Ackles, he's my alpha, my true alpha."

"Surely you must be mistaken. He would have mated you a long time ago if he were."

"I know, I don't understand it either, but I'm not mistaken. He's my mate and in time we will be together. That's why I have to say no. I'm sorry, I'm flattered, but I can't accept your proposition."

"Jared…"

"There will never be anyone else for me than Jensen. So I ask you to accept this answer and respect my choice of not seeing each other again privately."

Jared held the commandant's gaze for a long while, conveying his certainty, before a slight nod of the officer's head granted his wish.

With a little bow, Jared turned away and left.


	4. Chapter 4

"Jensen, where are you ?"

Jared entered the house when his knock went unanswered. He knew how Jensen could get lost in his painting and the absence of answer didn't necessarily mean that the alpha was not home. Jared didn't mind, it was his only job today anyway, and he hoped Jensen would invite him for lunch as usual so they could spend some quality time together. He could wait for as long as the alpha needed to work on his canvas.

"Jensen ?" he tried again. "It's Jared, I brought your mail."

He finally found the alpha, sitting on the blue sofa of the living room, but his smile died as Jared took in the scent of the other person seated right in front of Jensen. An omega, a woman in her thirties, unmated and still quite pretty.

"Hello, Jared," Jensen answered with a welcoming smile. "This is Cindy, we're almost finished. Could you wait for me a little bit on the patio ?"

Jared nodded absently, still stuck on the fact that Jensen was seeing someone else. He should have known it would happen ; no alpha in their twenties, especially not one as gorgeous and interesting and rich as Jensen, would live the life of a monk. Not in these sweet islands where the rules were so easy to bend for the alphas.

He should have known. But it hurt, dear gods, it hurt so much !

Jared walked just as absently to the patio. He could hear the voice of the woman, light and melodious, but the words didn't register past the fact that she seemed nervous, falsely cheerful. Maybe Jared's arrival had frightened her, too.

Don't worry, he wanted to say, the thought bitter and hurtful as always, Jensen made it clear more than once that he doesn't want me.

But then Jensen's voice rose and rid him of his moroseness.

"Alright, I guess there's no need to draw it out. It won't work, Cindy, and I think you know it. You're nice and, I'm sure, very talented, but you're not what I'm looking for."

"Yes, I guess so, alpha Ackles. Though I'm a little sad, it would have been lovely living here…"

Jared heard them move away, Jensen thanking the omega for coming while accompanying her back to the pontoon. Jared had seen her small craft on his way in, but he had just thought Jensen had bought a new one.

He finally sat down and tried to let the peace of the place soothe his aching heart. A small part of him wanted to flee before Jensen joined him. He wasn't sure he could hide his hurt and be the happy friend Jensen enjoyed in him.

Then Jensen was there and another part of Jared, the much bigger one that always felt alive and so good in his mate's presence, shut the other one off.

"For heaven's sake !" Jensen swore as he let himself fall into the cushions of the bench, just a few inches away from Jared. "I should just admit that I will never find a good housekeeper and stop looking ! They always want to change everything from the upside down, the way I use the rooms, my habits… Can you see me eating at strict hours every day because 'this is how a good alpha should live his life' ? I prefer to keep doing it all by myself in this case."

Jared was stunned. Jensen was looking for a housekeeper and he had never told him.

"Why didn't you offer me the job ? You know I've been looking for a steady place for ages."

Jensen gave him a startled look.

"To be honest, it never occurred to me that you could be interested. I haven't advertised that much, just told trusted friends to ask around, but the few omegas I saw were all women past their prime, all of them widows apart from Cindy. I guess a lot of the younger ones fear their reputation will be forever ruined if they live alone with an alpha on an island for an extended period. And the men prefer to work outside most of the time, not stuck inside the house to wash and cook."

"I don't mind the washing or the cooking, and I can do so many other things for you, I've proved it already. Please, Jensen, I want the job. I promise I won't try to change your life or your house."

Jensen's right hand came up to rub the back of his neck, in this gesture Jared had already identified to mean the alpha was either embarrassed or annoyed.

"Jared, I can't employ you."

"You already do," Jared reminded him. "I know it's not the same, and I know I'm just an omega and I'm not as strong or as knowledgeable as an alpha, but I'm resistant, I'm not afraid to work hard, and I can learn what I don't know."

"That's not the problem. I'm pretty sure you'd be a great asset to this island, but you told me what you wanted from me so honestly that I don't want to lead you on."

"You think it's just an excuse to be near you, and seduce you ?"

"Well, it's certainly convenient for you if you're still in the mind of mating me. This is my home, and I need to feel safe here. I left too many things behind to give up the peace I found in this place."

Jared could certainly understand Jensen's reluctance but he needed the job, as much as he needed to be close to his alpha. He was also pretty sure that he could now refrain from ditching his clothes in front of the man, especially if he was too tired at night to do anything else but fall in bed to sleep.

"Ok," Jared proposed, conciliatory. "Let's make a deal : I promise I won't hit on you if you give us a fair chance to get to know each other. You hire me for a two-week test maybe, or rather a month, and you'll see I'm not lying. Trust me, please. I need this job."

He used the full puppy-eye pleading that was always so effective on Padre Jim when he was a kid, and he saw the exact second when Jensen's resistance crumbled.

//////////// 

Jensen led him through a part of the farmhouse Jared had never explored before. It was right at the end of the building, a small house inside the house, that had belonged to Jensen's previous housekeeper before she left to mate her alpha.

"If you're going to live here for long," Jensen had said, "you'll need your own place where you can retire and be on your own every time you need space and calm."

There was a nice little bathroom, very luminous with the usual white walls, a stony sink fed with water directly pumped from the stream running behind the farmhouse, a big window and a bigger mirror ; a kitchenette with a table for two, another sink and a much smaller oven than the one in the master kitchen, but still usable in case Jared preferred to eat alone at times ; and finally the bedroom, flooded with light pretty much all day through the two opposite French doors.

As Jared took in the surprising vastness of his new home, Jensen was already planning the changes needed.

"We'll have to get you a net fabric to protect your bed if this is to be an omega's room once again, I gave the last one away. There's a big colony of Tarin monkeys, far on the other side of the island, but I bet they'll get your scent soon enough and they'll colonize the house if we're not vigilant."

"Thanks for thinking of me, but it's too hot in summer to sleep behind a net. I'm sure I'll manage. I heard they were only attracted to sexually active omegas anyway and it's not like I am, so…"

Jared was blushing again. It seemed he couldn't stop in front of his alpha, constantly raising topics that had the potential to make him ill at ease with a man he wanted so much.

"In fact, we'll have to get you another bed, too," Jensen went on, giving Jared the time to get himself under control. "This one's a standard omega one, as you can see, which means your feet will hang out."

"I can't let you spend money on my behalf. I could just put the mattress on the floor."

"Money is no issue, not for a longer box spring anyway. We'll make the trip to the city tomorrow and see if we can find what we need. Otherwise, we'll have to order something custom-made for you. We should make a list to make sure we won't forget anything. And we'll have to get your things at the pension, too."

"I don't know how to thank you for everything, alpha."

"Well, I know what you could do."

Jared's heart skipped a beat at these words. It felt like all those occasions other alphas had tried to use to take advantage of the situation and get him into their bed. But such was his luck that Jared highly doubted Jensen was the kind of alpha to play this card, as much as Jared might wish for it this time, and his reluctant mate confirmed it with his next words.

"I don't want you to be any more formal with me now than you were before. I'm not that kind of employer. For example, if you want to stop shaving for a few days, be my guest. I've never understood why it was such a big deal for an omega to be always clean-shaven, anyway ! I bet you'd be very sexy with stubble. And don't forget, you are still required to call me Jensen, not Alpha, or alpha Ackles, or any such nonsense. Is that clear ?"

"Very much, alpha," Jared couldn't help defying him, and he got a smile in return.

//////////// 

It turned out that part of Jared's duty was to eat with his employer as often as possible. Jensen wasn't the kind of alpha to put his feet on the table while he was being served, so they just brought together on the dining room table everything needed for a light supper before they sat facing each other. Jensen cut the end off the bread and was about to put it next to his plate when he turned to Jared.

"Do you like the end ?"

"Yes. I was the only one at the orphanage. The other kids used to prefer the inside of the bread so I was able to enjoy that treat without depriving anyone. Here, they only seem to make sandwich loaves, I don't know why that is."

"All Sheppard's fault ! The ruffian only enjoys sandwich bread, so he lowered taxes on it."

"So where does this one come from ?"

"I know this little bakery in the old town, I have to take you there someday. Their bread is delicious, but they also have some great cakes. I'm pretty sure the one at your friend's wedding was one of their creations."

"And what about you ? Do you like the crusty end too ?"

"Oh yes, you're going to have to fight me to get one !"

"Were you also the only one at home to eat them ?"

Jensen's grin dimmed and Jared feared he had asked the wrong question already, the one that would push Jensen to reconsider his recruitment.

"No, not at all. In fact, my brothers loved them just as much. We used to play to see which of us could make the loudest noise, crunching hard on the crust. But I was the heir, so my father had decided I should always get what I wanted, before my siblings. It sucked all the pleasure I might have felt. I tried to make it up to Eric and Josh by giving it all to them when Father wasn't around, but it just wasn't the same."

Jared didn't really know what to think or reply, it was so out of the realm of his own experience, so he just kept silent.

"Anyway," Jensen continued as he put one of the two ends beside Jared's plate, "I've never understood why they can't make bread with more ends. Honestly, why should there only be two ends to a bread ? Those bakers could try something new. Something star-shaped maybe, like a five-pointed star, and with as many ends ? Or smaller loaves, so that we'd have to buy more of them ? What do you think ?"

"I think you, alpha Ackles, are an epicurean, but you do have good taste."

Jared also thought that he now had the perfect idea to surprise and please Jensen.

//////////// 

"Jensen, where are your nightshirts ? I'm going to the river to do laundry."

The alpha was sketching idly, inspiration clearly eluding him.

"Don't worry about it, I'm not wearing those things to sleep. Only sleep pants, if anything."

Jared was transfixed, looking at his alpha as if he was sitting half-naked in front of him. He blushed once again when he realized that his thoughts were probably written on his face, so he turned and all but ran with his basket of laundry, down to the river.

What he could remember of his alpha's body, memories of the heated moment they had shared upon meeting, or the one time he had helped him disrobe down to his undergarment as Jensen's back was injured, all those images had been the main fantasy of his dreams since his arrival in the Islands. He ached to see him again. A physical ache, that tore through his stomach right to his cock, making it stand at attention, and signaling to his hole that it was time to slick up, to prepare for their mating. Each and every time he thought about it.

But night after night, day after day, Jared was still empty, aching, and lusting.

He sat in the place Jensen had carved on the shore to wash his laundry more easily and began working to reroute his mind onto more secure topics. The task was not unpleasant on such a pretty day, his feet and hands hanging in the cool water, Jensen's scent still with him and mixed with his own thanks to their clothes gathered in the same basket.

Maybe he could delay washing one of Jensen's shirts, just for a few days, to keep the scent of his alpha with him at night and help him sleep.

//////////// 

As big as the house was, Jared still had a lot of time to kill after the end of his daily chores. He had never been one to sit idly while others worked hard to put bread on the table, and watching Jensen in the fields quickly inspired him to learn everything he needed to help him there too.

He first learned how to trim the pilso's foliage. The little trees were nothing much to look at, but Jensen assured him that the fruits they would gather in a month would make him regret his words after the first taste of pilso jam. It was a pleasant job, and Jensen tried to keep him from the most strenuous work, the plowing, hoeing, hilling, harrowing, but Jared made him see reason quickly enough.

While he practiced each bit of new knowledge gathered thanks to Jensen's experience, he listened to his mate telling him about his project in the short or long run, the extensions he planned, the new directions he wanted to input. He explained how difficult it was for him at times to keep both feet on the ground and refrain from beginning too much at the same time. He had been trained to think big, and this little one-man farm had to go slow and modest. Jensen could have hired lots of employees, of course, and have them do all the hard work, but that would be contrary to all the reasons why he had come here, so he forced himself to patience and built his domain slowly, one plot at a time.

Jensen liked animals but he didn't feel competent enough to care for them, nor did he want to have to kill them to feed other people. His only help, one guy coming several times a week from a nearby island, took care of the sheep grazing the meadows of Tellia's west shore and the few horses Jensen kept in pasture and used now and then to scout his land.

Jensen enjoyed the loneliness in Tellia, though he didn't seem to mind Jared's help. On the contrary, working side by side renewed his energy and soon Jensen was dreaming big again.

It would have been easy to feel jealous of the obvious love Jensen had for his island, if Jared hadn't recognized here at work the same passion the alpha had put into helping him out of his troubles. Jared had never possessed anything more important than a few garments and books, so it was a stretch for his mind to imagine what it meant to own something as huge and fertile, productive and nourishing. Jensen had told him how he had managed to buy this land, because a mistaken survey, right after a fire, had caused most of the explored area to be reputed barren. No one but Jensen had bothered to check the truth of that statement. Even then, few were the people rich enough to buy an island of that size, so Sheppard had been very accommodating the day Jensen had offered to take it out of his hands.

It felt to Jared's romantic spirit that Jensen had saved Tellia's generous nature from the Intendant, just as he had saved Jared's virginity. The more Jared learned about the proper way of caring for the island, the more he wanted to improve his skills.

His passion for the island also had a beneficial effect on his economic situation : Jared's first wage was twice bigger than agreed on.

"You're supposed to be a housekeeper," Jensen told him when Jared voiced his surprise, "not a farm boy. Yet you're actually doing two jobs at once, and doing them well."

Jared had never earned that much money in his whole life – a sum he was able to deposit at the bank quasi-entirely, week after week, since he had no needs, being fed and lodged. It was once again a bittersweet feeling, as he knew perfectly well that he would have worked just as much for nothing, had his only goal been to help his mate.

//////////// 

The local peach cultivar had come to harvesting time, a job Jared enjoyed a lot. Led by the enthusiasm of the hour, he blurted a sudden proposition to Jensen.

"Now that there's two of us, maybe we could plant another plot or two…" 

But then his voice trailed and his face twisted in self-pity.

"I'm stupid. I'll be gone in less than three months, it would leave you with all the hard work to do, alone."

"What ?!" Jensen started, abandoning the tree he was working on to get closer to Jared. "Wow, come back to those three months, what do you mean ? I remember _exactly_ the day of your arrival and you still have a long time to go."

As happy as it made him that Jensen remembered his arrival with such precision, Jared felt even more of a fool for having been too much of a coward to sign for a full year. He could have spent many more months with his alpha, but the deal was done, no amount of regrets would take him back in time to modify his decision, and crying about it wouldn't change anything either.

"I only signed for six months," he finally explained out loud. "I was afraid of what would happen, here and once I was back, if I didn't meet anyone I wanted to marry. So I took the coward's way and signed for half a King's grace."

"That's…" Jensen looked at a loss for words. "Unfortunate, I guess ? Unexpected and disappointing come to mind, too."

"I know, I'm sad too. Now that I'm here, anyway."

He would miss Jensen and his land so fiercely once back in Tethreya, he couldn't believe how stupid and faithless he had been. The first two months in Ismia had been kind of bad, terrible even on some accounts, and only the mating pull had helped him override the darker side effects of the many violations he had been subjected to ; Jensen was his true north, the ultimate attraction he had never tried to resist. His alpha mate, who had already given his heart to his island and encouraged Jared to love her too. How was Jared supposed to live far from them both and survive their loss ?

He felt so secure here, so happy, and the constant closeness to Jensen probably triggered something in his body that he couldn't name, he was no alchemist, but had him relaxing at last since his arrival in the Islands and his meeting with his mate.

Jensen seemed just as happy with their arrangement despite all his early misgivings. Jared didn't think the alpha had changed anything in his life, either to avoid Jared or spare his feelings, and that was Jared's biggest victory. They had this sort of easy camaraderie, the one they had always shared, now intensified with every minute spent together. Jared couldn't differentiate it anymore from his other, more amorous feelings for Jensen, and he hoped the same could soon be said for his alpha. Their conversation about the fast-approaching end of his grace had reminded him that time was of the essence, and he prayed Jensen would realize it too.

He had settled in his new life as if it had been tailor-made for him. He knew he was just an employee here, but Jensen never let him feel any difference in the way he was allowed to use the house and any accommodation. Nothing barring the artist studio was out-of-bounds, no conversation forbidden, no activity frowned upon.

Jared had come to use the living room every night while Jensen was there too. They didn't necessarily talk a lot. Jensen sketched or read whenever he wasn't going over the bank stuff, strangely sexy with those tiny spectacles strapped on the bridge of his nose every time he felt tired. Sometimes they played cards, or chess. Jared loved chess better – he won pretty often – whereas Jensen was the Primero and Piquet master. In any case, they played to trade tasks : the winner could get the other one to do something he disliked in his place, in exchange for another chore ; they also played for books : the winner was authorized to decide which book the loser would get to read next. That's how Jared had taken to sample Jensen's fabulous and extremely varied library, getting to discover subjects and authors he might not have tried on his own, while Jensen had bought new novels to follow Jared's advice.

Among all those riches, Jared's newest pleasure was puzzles. He had found two of them in Jensen's storeroom, lying abandoned and dusty, and then his mate had bought him more, sensing his interest.

Life was good in Jensen's home, and he had until the end of August to enjoy it.

"What would you like to plant ?" Jensen asked then, as if the date of his departure had nothing to do with Jared's involvement in the future of the plantation. "More peach trees ?"

//////////// 

Jensen couldn't believe how much Jared had learned already about agriculture, all in such a short time. He was a natural. Jared had told him how, at the orphanage, he had enjoyed tending to the vegetable garden and orchard, but it had been small surfaces and community effort. Here, the task was staggering, especially for an omega, but Jared pushed himself hard and made it work. His love for the job was so obvious that, had he been an alpha, anyone else would have concluded Jared had found his calling.

To the potential unbelievers, no better proof could be displayed than Jared's joyful enthusiasm since the day Jensen had offered him a decent-sized and freshly-plowed plot to do with it as he pleased. Unconcerned with the fact that he would probably be back in Tethreya long before most of what he had cultivated had half-grown, Jared had questioned Jensen endlessly about the better use of the soil, the fastest growing plants, Jensen's favorite colors… He had planned it all with an attention to detail Jensen had rarely seen in anyone else – himself included, sketching the garden under his balcony – and was applying all his passion to turn that plot into a place of beauty.

But then, anyone else than Jensen seeing Jared now, fast asleep on the couch right after dinner because he wasn't used yet to the intensively physical work – he would ask for forgiveness later, still unsure of his place in this house – would point out that no omega was ever created to deal with the hard labor of horticulture. As if nurturing and growing weren't omegas' intrinsic qualities. As if millions of omegas hadn't worked just as hard since the dawn of time, while the alphas were getting all the credit for their harder muscles and their supposedly more developed intelligence.

There was so much more than met the eye to Jared. So much more than this gorgeous envelope that Jensen had begun to draw again on a whim when he had spotted Jared lying completely unwary in sleep, offering the perfect subject for a new painting. Jared's shirt had slid on his chest, the unbuttoned collar opening wide to show a tiny, brown nipple Jensen wanted to lick and bite. His work breeches, some older ones Jensen had lent to him until they could buy something adapted, were a bit on the short side length-wise and they tended to obey gravity and slide down too, revealing the beginning of Jared's tempting treasure trail. His pretty pink lips were opened to uncover white teeth and, when Jensen was lucky, the tip of his vivacious tongue.

Such an unguarded pose for the omega. Jensen was pretty sure Jared wouldn't recognize himself once the painting was done.

//////////// 

"My gods, man, I get a stiffy just watching him stand up in those breeches that seem painted on him. Have you seen that ass ? Can you imagine what it would look like, bending over that table to take my knot and begging for more ?! I'm sure he would be such a slut for my cock…"

"Shut up, Bazil, or we're both going to walk around those chaste omegas all night with a pole tenting our breeches. It could make dancing a bit hazardous."

"Maybe that would give the Padalecki boy some ideas. He always seems so unconcerned. Needs a good fucking to remind him he's nothing but an omega, you know. Might be built like an alpha, but you and I would put him in his place in a heartbeat."

"It seems to me you've had more than a few daydreams about this boy. And probably more than a few boners."

"I admit I considered asking for his hand, because… well, you've got eyes to undress him just like I do. And I guess you heard what Richings had to say about him, too ? But like I said, he's built like an alpha, not like a genitor. Hips are too thin, he wouldn't be able to carry baby after baby, year after year. I may want to fuck the boy senseless but I need more for a mate."

"I'm pretty sure many of us have had the same thought, including Ackles. The alpha's too nice for his own good, I hope he won't fall prey to the hard chasing Padalecki's been doing since he arrived."

"Don't worry, Ackles is no fool. Padalecki will still be free for the taking when his time comes up. I'm sure then the omega won't be so haughty and he'll be ready for that good fucking, just to try and stay here."

"You're right. And you know, I'm thinking he wouldn't even say no to a threesome then. How do you feel about that ?"

His face red with shame and anger, Jared realized he had heard more than enough. He wasn't sure what a threesome meant but he could easily guess, and he didn't need that kind of image to pollute his mind.

Jared crossed the room, ignoring the other alphas until he found Jensen, who had been more or less forced to invite a persistent omega to dance. His alpha was now alone at the bar, ordering two tinels, but Jared cut in to tell him he wanted to leave the ball.

He decided, right here, right now, and Sheppard be damned, that it was the last o-event he would ever attend.

//////////// 

"I'm hopeless with a hammer," Jared told Jensen over his shoulder. "I didn't even try to repair anything, I just saw the damage and came for you."

Jensen followed the omega into his apartment at a slower pace and stopped abruptly on the bedroom's threshold. The scent here was so Jared, a concentration of all the olfactory pleasures that made him dream of the omega at night, glad they were staying on different floors so that Jared never heard him jerking off when Jensen fought the need to join him downstairs to make love.

"To be honest, it's worse than hopelessness," Jared continued, unconscious of Jensen's thoughts, while leading him to the broken drawers. "I'm a danger with a hammer. Give me a rake or a broom, a knife or a saw, and everything goes just as expected. But hammers have a mind of their own, they aim unerringly for my fingers."

Jensen settled his toolbox on the ground to take a better look at the chest of drawers that seemed to have crumpled under some invisible weight.

"I'm not sure it's reparable," Jensen mused. "Not your fault, I can smell your worry from here."

Jared thanked him with a grateful smile. Jensen turned back quickly to avoid the sight of the omega seated on his bed, crossed legs and bare feet. He really didn't need to fantasize about the way he could push him to lie on his back to let himself be ravished by his alpha.

"Most of the farmhouse's furniture is old stuff I inherited from my godmother. I had everything brought over here, apart from the castle itself," he added with a laugh, "so it's bound to give up the ghost sooner or later."

Jensen kneeled and took the broken drawers out to inspect them.

"You had _all_ the furniture on a ship from Tethreya to Ismia, then from Ismia to Tellia ?" Jared itemized, clearly astounded.

"Don't forget the part where I had to bring it all from my godmother's countryside to Tethreya," Jensen completed absently, busy joining the planks back together to test their solidity. Maybe a smaller plank, kept in place over the other ones with a few nails, would do the trick.

"Ah yes, sorry, can't forget that part."

Jensen realized Jared was making fun of him then.

"What ?"

Jared rolled his eyes.

"Most of us don't even have a bed or a table to our names, and you have troubles bringing a whole castle over from the mainland's countryside to your farmhouse on a remote island of a new world. You rich people have it so tough !"

He had never imagined Jared mocking him for who he was, and that's probably why the hurt sneaked past his usual defenses to resonate that far. Jensen broke visual contact once again.

"Yeah, you're right. No use bothering with this, I'll buy you something new next time I go to Ismia."

Jensen let go of the planks and began to straighten up, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him before he could stand.

"Please, excuse me," Jared said in a voice that conveyed how sorry he felt, "I shouldn't have said it like that. Sometimes it feels like we live in such different worlds, and I don't think I can understand you that well."

Jensen wanted to argue there was no need, that Jared owed him nothing, that he was so used to people seeing him for what he was supposed to be, one more person would make no difference. But then Jared squeezed his shoulder and kneeled next to him.

"Tell me, please."

It would be easier, and probably safer, to remain sullen and closed-off. Avoidance was an art his parents had always practiced with good results and Jensen had learned very young to emulate them. Avoiding his feelings for Jared was impossible, though.

"It's just…" he tried. "Growing up, the only moments I felt free were at my godmother's. She was an alpha but she understood I didn't want to follow in my father's footsteps."

Jared moved a bit to face Jensen. His right foot caught on a broken plank, eliciting a hiss. Without a word, Jensen took it in his hands and checked for splinters.

"What was she like ?" Jared asked as Jensen's thumb slowly caressed the sole of his foot, mindful of causing more pain.

"Unlike any other. Free-spirited. Generous to a fault to the persons she loved, and incredibly mean to the ones she hated. She never backed down, not because she was a stubborn alpha, but because she thought you have to fight for the things you really want. She taught me everything my father didn't want me to know – except the cooking, that was all thanks to my previous housekeeper."

"Your father didn't want you to learn some things ?"

"Manual stuff, mostly. According to my father, my hands were only good to write, play the clavichord, and fuck omegas. Any other use was prohibited as I had to concentrate on learning the banking trade to become part of the money elite. There were other people paid to do the repairing, never mind that I liked to fiddle and tinker with anything coming my way. Painting didn't feed a family, even less a clan, so the only acceptable use of whatever talent I might have was to show the world the power and wealth of the Ackles. My brothers were a great help during my teenage years, covering for me many times when I sneaked out to get rid of my frustrations in street fights. But my godmother realized I was heading a bad way so she had me helping her staff to learn how to wield their tools, and she protected artists who would agree to teach me the basics of their technique. She offered me a chance to be who I am."

"So you feel at home around her furniture. I can get that."

There was none of the earlier sarcasm in Jared's words and his smile was friendly and true. Jensen smiled back, anger and disappointment forgotten.

"I don't think you have any splinter," he concluded, releasing the foot he had massaged during his explanations.

"You haven't checked the other one," Jared said hurriedly, placing his left foot in Jensen's hand for a second massage.

Jensen didn't protest. He liked using his hands, after all. Especially on Jared.

//////////// 

Jensen had guests tonight and Jared had done his best to create the perfect dinner for him. He was mostly done now, nothing left but the table to prepare.

"Do you want to sit beside one of your friends or in front of them both ?" he asked Jensen, who was coming back from his bedroom where he had washed and changed into clean clothes.

"Where's your plate ?" Jensen responded instead of answering his query.

Jared was taken aback by such a dumb question.

"In the kitchen, of course. I'm not going to eat on the dresser or the coffee table."

Jensen sighed and took his hand to lead him to the kitchen.

"Jared, you're eating with us at the main table, next to me, so get your plate in the living room pronto before Misha and Mishael arrive."

"But I'm an employee here, I can't eat with you all."

"You can, and you will. Yes, you're an employee, but even if that made any kind of difference to me, I like to think that we're also friends. At least we used to be, when you were not working here. Don't you feel it anymore ?"

"I do. I really do, I just didn't know… I'll be glad to join you for supper. Thanks, alpha."

"Thank you too, omega, for cooking, and for accepting the invitation," Jensen replied, so formal, before offering his biggest playful smile to Jared.

Jensen's friends arrived not long after Jared had corrected his seating arrangements. Jensen hadn't told him much beyond the fact that the couple had also come from Tethreya a few years before him and they had all hit it off immediately. Misha was often considered a weirdo, but a well-meaning one, and everyone loved his mate Mishael. Together, they ran a big farm on a nearby island and made good money despite Misha's various and bizarre interests. They had five kids already, who Jared wouldn't see tonight as they were left with their nanny.

"Mishael," Jensen called when a pretty omega with dark skin and gorgeous black hair appeared on the living room threshold, "come, I want to introduce you to my friend Jared. Misha, behave !"

Offering one hand to the lovely woman, Jensen came to stand next to Jared, and put his other hand in a comforting gesture on the small of Jared's back to appease his nervousness.

"Jared Padalecki, this is my friend Misha Collins and his mate Mishael."

Jared wasn't really surprised to see that Misha, just like Jensen, didn't make a difference between alphas and omegas when it came to shaking hands, but he was startled when the man not only kept his hand but used it to come closer, peering intently at him from below with penetrating blue eyes. Only the smiles on Jensen and Mishael's faces told him this attitude was not intended as a threat.

"So you are the young Jared Jensen told us so much about."

Jared couldn't hide his surprise.

"He did ?"

"To the point of being annoying."

"I'm sorry for that."

"Don't listen to him," Mishael intervened, "he loves to make an impression."

"You don't have to be sorry," Misha answered, "this is all on Jensen. And it was only good stuff."

"Really ?"

"Jensen never bothers with the bad things. If he talks about someone, or something, you can surmise he likes them very much. At the very least, he's seen something about them that should signal to everyone else that they're worth taking the time to know."

Jared felt himself blushing. And he was even more stunned to realize that Jensen had somehow felt enough at ease in his company to broach some difficult subjects with him.

Jensen managed to take everyone's attention off of him by asking his guests to sit at the table. He served the aperitifs before he came to sit with them, helping Jared by defusing a little bit of Misha's never-ending questions about his life and beliefs. Misha was definitely a weird one, spouting strange ideas about pretty much anything, but he also knew how to listen and make you speak. Jared was kind of afraid of this ability.

He stood up soon to retrieve the first dish from the kitchen. His knowledge of the local cuisine had improved exponentially ever since he had come to live with Jensen. His mate had given him carte blanche to experiment and try new recipes – as long as there would be something to fall back on, in case his attempts proved totally inedible. He wasn't worried tonight, they had decided on the menu together and he had already tried every dish on Jensen. Mostly, he was excited at the prospect of surprising his mate with the one thing he hadn't told him about.

He kept silent as he brought the loaves of bread he had baked in total secrecy, but the look on Jensen's face as he took in the five-pointed, star-shaped breads he set next to each plate held all the thanks and compliments he needed.

Well, maybe Jensen taking his hand and squeezing it was acceptable too, as well as the moan of pleasure accompanying his first bite into the crusty end.

"So Jared," Misha exclaimed suddenly, "Jensen told us you were once a teacher, and that you had a particular affinity for literature. Do you enjoy the classics or more modern work ?"

"It depends very much on the kind of literature," Jared shyly responded. "But I feel generally more attuned to recent writings. Especially," he turned to Jensen as if to get his permission to speak and continued when he received a supporting smile, "the few omega writers, like Pretana. Have you ever read her ?"

"No. I can't say that I have even heard about her."

Jared turned once again towards Jensen.

"Can I ?..." he asked, to be allowed to leave the table momentarily.

"Of course," Jensen approved with another smile, "anything you want."

Jared almost ran to the coffee table to get his favorite book, The Course of the Sun. Pretana's writings were difficult to find, sold illicitly in certain areas, but she had a way with words that had Jared nodding all along, vibrating with her characters that felt so close to him. Omegas who were described as real, living persons, not the kind of interchangeable beings Jensen had mocked with humor in that play they had seen together.

Jared loved Pretana so much that he had all but forced his alpha to read everything she had penned – of course, Jared had brought all her books with him when he had left Tethreya – and she had seduced Jensen in his turn. He couldn't wait to hear what Misha would think of her ; even Mishael looked like she might be interested, although she confessed to not being much of a reader.

Jared had a hard time falling asleep that night. The supper had been everything he had wished for, a friendly meeting of like-minded people who enjoyed each other's company and shared knowledge and laughter. One more memory he would take back with him in his orphanage, where nothing ever happened and he had to hide his favorite books, for fear young children might find them.

//////////// 

The day was gorgeous even through the gusts of high wind coming from the north. Jensen had decided the previous evening that it was more than time to show Jared other parts of his island, so they had saddled two horses and left early in the morning to ride as far as possible before the heat struck.

While not yet an accomplished rider, Jared felt more and more at ease on a horse's back thanks to Jensen's lessons, and this feeling was in total contrast with the current awkwardness he was experiencing, as Jensen had decided to go for a dip into the deep green waters of a lake. Jared had averted his eyes when Jensen was ditching his clothes, struggling not to turn his head back and watch. He lived with the temptation to join the alpha in his bedroom every night at home, trying constantly not to read too much into Jensen's mixed signals ; he just couldn't resist his naked mate.

Seeking safety in flight, Jared wandered around the lake. The vegetation was plentiful here, offering more examples of exotic plants Jared had never seen before. He spotted a beautiful species of colorful bird and admired the five specimens for a while, gracefully flying around from tree to tree. Their tails looked to be somewhat prehensile and the younger birds played at catching the ones of their parents.

Jared continued his voyage of discovery once the birds had fluttered about too far to see. A few Tarin monkeys, or what looked much like them, pushed him to change direction in order to avoid them. As Jensen had predicted, some of the small animals had found the farmhouse, or more accurately Jared's bedroom, forcing him to resort to using a net and asking Jensen to buy him one. He still felt bad about the way he had discovered the protection was mandatory.

Trying to escape the memory, Jared crossed the barrier of trees and went on the other side, to find himself face to face with a herd of the biggest beasts he had ever seen.

"Jensen," he yelled in terror without thinking.

His shout had the unfortunate effect of catching the closest beast's attention, and Jared saw it turning its huge body towards him before it began approaching. It was a slow progress but the sheer weight of the animal had the ground vibrating under Jared's feet. It triggered a reaction in him, some kind of atavistic fear of being crushed by such a monster, and he started to move backwards, not daring to turn his back to look where he was going.

He felt the root behind his foot, but still he stumbled and went down like a rock.

"Jensen," he yelled again as the dragon was getting nearer and his attempts at crawling were insufficient to escape. Pebbles and thorny plants dug into the unprotected skin of his forearms but the pain encouraged him to fight.

Finally ! Finally he felt Jensen's hands on him, pushing him upright, and his soothing, deep voice urging him to calm down. Jensen stood there with Jared in his arms, uncaring of the dragon that was now so close that it was smelling them. A massive, pinkish tongue exited the rough-looking lips of the beast's mouth to lick Jared's leg, the place where many blades of grass had gathered on his breeches.

"Don't worry," Jensen said, sensing him tense in his arms. "It's not going to hurt you."

As if trying to prove Jensen's words, the dragon turned away, uninterested in Jared, and walked back to join the rest of its herd.

"Why didn't it eat me ?" Jared wondered, so relieved he squeaked a bit. "The commandant said they were dangerous."

"They can be dangerous, if they're unfed, or attacked. Otherwise, they're the most placid animals you'll ever see, no more dangerous than the average cow."

"Then why does the army try to pass them off as the biggest danger out there, calling them dragons and shooting them on sight ?"

"Multiple reasons, I guess. It's a way to look good, to bring the people together against a shared enemy, but also it's easier to wipe them off the islands if everyone thinks it’s for the greater good. I can even imagine that the first explorers angered the chowli they met one way or another, and that the chowli struck back, maybe killed the alphas, forging their bad reputation. Not a lot of people are concerned enough about their survival to try and stop the slaughter. Misha is, and a few other settlers. I've talked with Morgan about it once or twice. He laughed and told me to keep to what I know, and to leave the rest to the people who can handle it."

Jared felt sick as he remembered the commandant bragging about the army's tally on their latest dragon-killing spree.

"I'm just as bad as him, Jensen. I've eaten the chowli he had brought back from his field trip, when I went to dinner with him."

"No, you're not. For one, you didn't know. And then even the Visnians kill and eat a chowli now and then. They would say it's part of the life-and-death circle."

"I wanted you to think I'm courageous but I couldn't even escape, I had to call you, like a stupid omega. I'm sorry, I'm a coward."

"Jared, stop. You were afraid, it happens to the best of us."

Jared hid his face in Jensen's neck when his mate's arms brought him closer. He felt so weak after the tension and the fear.

It took him a few minutes to realize that Jensen was wet. He disengaged himself a bit, enough to see that the alpha probably didn't have time to dry himself properly before he rushed to save his squire in distress, and his light muslin shirt was glued to his torso, indecently revealing.

Even a frightful encounter with a dragon couldn't stop Jared from fantasizing about his mate. He was doomed.

He put his head back on Jensen's shoulder.

//////////// 

"I saw Misha today," Jensen announced suddenly as the memory hit him. "We're invited for dinner on the 15th, on the occasion of Mishael's birthday. I'm counting on you to remind me, and to think of a suitable birthday gift."

"What ?! They're your friends, you're the one who should know what would please her."

"But you're so much better than me at that kind of stuff !"

"Why ? Because I'm an omega ?"

"No, because you're intelligent and sensitive."

"And you're not ?"

"Nah, I'm a brute and your employer, therefore I can order you around to do my bidding," Jensen concluded with a smile, as if the discussion was over and he had won that argument. "When's your birthday, by the way ?"

"My own birthday ? Nothing's sure, but it's probably the 19th of July."

"Probably ?" Jensen repeated, bemused.

"You know I'm an orphan. I was found on the temple's steps, with nothing but my first name badly written on a piece of paper. Padre Jim said I couldn't have been more than a few hours old, so July 19th was declared to be my birth date."

Jared was so matter of fact about it, as if repeating a story heard and told many times already, something that had lost the power to hurt but that he still kept at bay to make sure it wouldn't.

"Gods !" Jensen swore. "How can parents abandon their children like that ?!"

"I'm an omega," Jared replied.

This too didn't seem to need a longer explanation, and it infuriated Jensen that this wonderful man, so bright and able, had accepted such a misconception as a fact. He was better than most alphas Jensen had ever met, better than the fate the combination of his biological needs and their society compelled him to.

Jensen wanted to protect the omega, to keep him safe on his land forever. Jared was home here, just as Jensen was, and the crops needed him to grow.

He would talk to the commandant, maybe even to Sheppard, and see if there was any way to get a dispensation so that Jared could stay here as long as he wished, even unmated. Here on his island, or as a professor for the new school once it was finally built, it didn't matter. It just had to be somewhere Jensen could protect him and make sure he was happy.

But in the meanwhile, he had a project to plan for a birthday to celebrate in less than two months. Jensen stood up to retreat to his studio. Before he closed the door, he turned back to Jared, who was reading again after wishing him a goodnight.

"Goodnight," he answered. "And Jared, you have to know that Misha and Mishael are your friends, too."

//////////// 

Jared didn't travel to Ismia every day now that he worked full time with Jensen. His previous job had been taken over by another omega from his contingent who Jared had recommended to the alpha and Lauren Tom. But he loved to come now and then, especially to buy the products he needed at the market. Everybody knew by now that he was Jensen's housekeeper, and all vendors courted him to gain a client with a reputation to pay fairly and regularly.

Jared generally chose what to buy to feed them both. For some unknown reason, Jensen had given him a list this time, full of goods they would hardly need, not to mention in such quantities. Jared's questions had remained unanswered, Jensen claiming that it would be a surprise.

He was almost done when he heard someone calling his name from the other side of the street. With a bit of annoyance, he waited for the commandant to cross the dirt road and join him. The officer looked misplaced in this area, all tricked out in his colorful uniform at odds with the everyday clothes of the vendors and buyers.

"Jared, it's a pleasure to see you."

The pleasure was anything but mutual, but Jared dipped into his well of good manners to reply graciously.

"Commandant, I trust you're doing well."

A part of him wanted to burst out loud everything he had learned recently about the slaughter of the dragons, demand an explanation and extort a promise that the killing would stop, but the more rational side of Jared knew it was futile. Jensen had pointed out very clearly all the reasons why the army would keep going on shooting field trips. The commandant would probably miss the sportsmanship of the safari too much to even think about ceasing to murder an entire species.

"I wish I could say the same about you," Morgan answered with a worried frown, "but I can see you hurt yourself."

So much for not wanting to broach the subject of dragons. Jared shook his hand to take it back from the commandant. The bruises and cuts on his arms were slowly healing, more impressive than really hurtful anyway. Except the one hematoma on his butt, which was just as hideous as it was painful to sit on. Jensen had proposed to rub an ointment on it but Jared had declined, unwilling to show him what was supposed to be one of his best assets marred with this big black blotch.

"Nothing to worry about," Jared commented, "this is only the result of my unreasonable fear when I was confronted with a dragon."

"Dear gods, what happened ?"

"Jensen was showing me his land, and I reacted stupidly because of all the lies I had heard about the chowli."

"Are you telling me there are still dragons on alpha Ackles' island ?! And he didn't protect you ?"

"There's no reason to protect me from them, Commandant, that's what I'm trying to tell you. I only got hurt because I fell when I tried to run away."

"I don't care how you got hurt, he should have protected you. That man doesn't deserve you, Jared, don't you see it ?"

The commandant had this incredible talent to piss Jared off more than anyone else with a few simple words. Jared was done with all this and he was more than ready to get back home.

"Good day, Commandant," he said before turning away.

//////////// 

Many, many years ago, there used to be a clavichord at the orphanage, a donation from one of the rich clans Padre Jim had convinced to look after the children. Jared had learned to play by himself then, enjoying this peculiar feeling of creating sounds that had the power to enthrall people, imagining that he would someday entice his future lover by playing for him. He couldn't read music, but he had a good ear and found it easy to replay any melody he had heard previously.

Jared hadn't played since the instrument had fallen apart a few years later, but he had been delighted to realize that Jensen was the happy owner of a gorgeous model. It had a painted cover – a very bucolic scene with light touches of greens, fiery oranges, and passionate reds – but the most pleasant surprise was the six octaves to play instead of the usual four. Best of all, its acoustics were really phenomenal.

Jared had patiently relearned, trying for the best way to place his hands now that the length of his fingers had almost doubled, and he must have done something right as Jensen, whenever he was around, always ended up in the music room a few minutes after Jared had begun his exercises. The alpha had offered to tutor Jared if he ever wanted to learn to read music and had taught him scales already, as well as a few easy pieces. Jensen had learned the clavichord and the bass violin when he was a kid, as per his father's wishes, but he claimed to be more of a singer. He still had to prove it.

Jared had gone to mass last week, and the melody of a particular hymn had entered his mind, never to leave again. He was proud to be able to play it now, although the words eluded him and he could only hum along. It was downright annoying, the lyrics had seemed to speak to him in such a personal way.

"I know that one," Jensen announced, sitting next to Jared on the little bench. "Our Padre used to play it at mass, every time. It's called White Light."

Jared began again, turning to Jensen when his voice suddenly rose, deep and melodious.

_"There's a white light that carries me home,_  
Helps me focus when I am alone  
Keeps on teaching me how to be loved  
And to love." 

The emotion was palpable through Jensen's voice, raising goose bumps on Jared's skin. Jensen hadn't tried to boast, he was a singer in the best sense of the word.

_"She's the good light that carries me on_  
Helps me focus on where I've gone wrong  
Now you've reached me  
It's time to forgive and forget 

_Onwards to forever  
Our minds belong together_

_Tonight, this land_  
Belongs to me  
The shifting sands  
The shining seas 

_Won't you help my soul to grow?  
To heal, it's all that I know."_

The silence was thick when the song ended and Jared swiftly chose another one.

//////////// 

Jared had told him about his encounter with Jeffrey Dean Morgan in town yesterday, but Jensen couldn't believe that the pedantic fool had pursued the omega here, not after all the ways Jared had tried to make him understand that they wouldn't happen. And with two boats full of soldiers, no less, who were disembarking right this moment without Jensen's authorization.

"Stay right where you are !" he bellowed as he got nearer to the shore.

The commandant turned around slowly to come face to face with Jensen.

"Alpha Ackles," he greeted Jensen formally with a dip of his head, to show respect and deference to the owner of the ground he was standing on. "I brought my soldiers today to rid your island of the remaining dragons."

Jensen could kind of see the physical appeal of the military man, and why Jared might have been tempted to give him a chance. He could also see the narrowness of his stares and the clenching of his jaw, the constant frown on his brow. This was a man used to being listened to and obeyed, a man ready to wipe out an animal species to gain a few minutes to flirt with a man who had already told him to stop bothering.

"I know why your alphas are here, Commandant, and I also know why _you_ are here. Neither are wanted on my island, and I demand that you all go."

"I must insist, alpha. Omega Padalecki related to me his frightful attack by a dragon. Had I known the species was still roaming your island, I would have made it a personal mission to come and clean out the infestation earlier."

"This _infestation_ as you put it, Commandant, is a natural species of the region, one that will never attack if they're not provoked. The Visnian tribes have even proved for centuries how easy it is to tame those so very frightful beasts. My island will remain a sanctuary for them, that's why I won't allow your regiment to come and shoot for absolutely no reason, other than your dubious purpose. As for Jared, this island is also a sanctuary for him, a place to feel safe and at home."

There was no need to expand on the conclusion, Morgan was bright enough to infer easily that he was the one Jared was trying to keep at bay by living here. But he was not to be so easily deterred.

"You know, Ackles, if you want to keep the boy to yourself, there's a very simple way to lay your claim. You have but to ask, that's what he came here for, after all. Unless you're just trying to lead him on ?"

"This is really none of your concern, Commandant. And you should know Jared better, he's his own man, and very much capable of leading his life by his own rules, whatever you might think of omegas. But maybe you're the one having a hard time accepting his autonomy. Or perhaps the way he rejected your offer. I can recognize jealousy when I smell it."

Morgan's demeanor turned much colder, the man drawing to his full height, back ramrod straight and menacing frown.

"I see there's no reasoning with you. Just think about what I said, alpha. If you never intend to do something about Jared's crush on you, be honest and let him know. He deserves to be able to find happiness with someone who really appreciates him."

"You say appreciate, I say love. Jared will never settle for anything else, and I respect that."

Lesser alphas might have backed down in front of the barely-veiled threat as Morgan came one step closer, but Jensen had gone toe to toe with scarier people in his previous, city-bound life. He knew how to fight, the dirty way, both physically and mentally, and military ranks had never impressed him.

"I meant what I said, Commandant. You're not welcome on my island, nor is your army. I'm politely requesting you all to leave. Right now. I trust we won't need to go to the Intendant to argue any official complaint, am I right ?"

Morgan's attitude all but froze. It was no great secret that the regiment's commanding officer and the Intendant pretty much hated each other. Morgan, for all his flaws and his pedantry, was an honest man who believed in divine justice and his mission, whereas there was no one and nothing in the Islands that Sheppard hadn't used and abused for his own advantage.

Morgan also had to know that Sheppard always tried to spare the Ackles alpha whenever it didn't clash with his own interests, because Jensen meant money and power, both here and back on the mainland.

"Very well," Morgan slowly acknowledged. "I apologize for the disturbance. Rest assured that neither my soldiers nor I meant any inconvenience and that we'll stand at your service, should you need our help with the dragons in the future. I pray you know what you're doing, for your sake as well as your omega's."

The commandant signaled retreat to his soldiers waiting a short distance away for the conclusion of this subdued alpha duel. They began to go back to their boats, re-embarking silently and efficiently, with an economy of movements that showed this was something often practiced.

"A word of advice, alpha Ackles, if I may."

Jensen didn't really want to listen to any more advice from this particular man, but he felt it was his turn to show his goodwill. He forced himself into an open attitude and waited for Morgan's words of wisdom.

"If you really intend to prevent the army from disembarking on your island at any time and for any reason, I suggest that you affix a no-trespassing sign on various positions along your island's shores, especially the pontoons. Some of those signs specify the army isn't welcome. It's not foolproof but it might help. On the other hand, you might not see us coming in times of need."

Morgan moved back without waiting for Jensen's reaction. Once on his boat, he turned his gaze towards the farmhouse where Jared was still hiding.

"Give my best regards to omega Padalecki," the commandant concluded, incapable of containing the words inside as the boat detached from the shore.

//////////// 

Jensen had warned him they would be away for a day-long trip. Waking up at dawn to find his mate already up and the goods he had bought two days before piled in their biggest dinghy, Jared had wondered why they weren't moving until he saw Misha approaching Tellia's shore on his own close-to-overloaded boat.

Jensen still refused to tell where he was taking him, that annoying little smile of the one in the know firmly planted on his face.

They left then, Jensen taking the oars at first with the promise that he would let Jared help later on. Misha proposed to let his turn pass, saying he would offer it to Jared if he thought Jensen would let him. Misha's boat was tied behind by a few inches of rope, following gently in the contrary but even current, its weight slowing them down.

The early conversation died quickly, Jared keen on observing all the islands they came across. Getting used to Ismia's flora, a tiny sample of the Islands' richness, hadn't necessarily prepared him for the explosion of color and beauty they were passing by.

A few settlers saluted them, usually the ones inhabiting the smallest patches of land, and they also met two fishermen. But as they went, Jensen led by his knowledge of the area as well as his compass, the number of islands they could see began to dwindle. Jensen then offered Jared to take his place. For almost an hour, Jared rowed, travelling through the endless river and trusting Jensen's direction.

He realized when Misha replaced him that they had been approaching an impenetrable cluster of trees, so thick and opaque that Jared was unable to determine if one island or more had given life to this jungle. Miles long, it was dense and dark from the outside, but the alphas clearly knew their way in and Jared discovered that, once inside, the light of the sun managed to filter through the canopy. He remembered then seeing some of Jensen's scenery paintings displaying strange dots of light and understood this was what his mate had struggled to render on his canvas.

The trip through the jungle lasted another hour. They made small talk, Jensen pointing out to him the trees and animals he recognized, so much information that blurred in Jared's mind into a potent wish to stay here forever and learn to know the Islands intimately, the way they deserved.

They finally emerged on the other side, the thick vegetation thinning to give total access to the river again. The heat had gotten worse during their time under the protection of the foliage, and Jensen soon replaced Misha for the last leg of their voyage.

They passed three seemingly deserted islands before they came ashore on a little beach on the fourth one. Here too, the world seemed devoid of human beings, the silence disrupted only by the murmur of the wind and the songs of the birds.

Despite the fact he still didn't know why they were here, Jared nonetheless helped his friends to load the wagon waiting there, hidden behind a wall of bamboos, with the goods they had brought.

"Hellooooo," an unknown voice behind his back had Jared jumping.

He turned to see a young and pretty blond man – an omega, his scent alerted him – walk straight to Jensen to hug him hard.

Jared hated him on sight.

The man turned to Misha then and hugged him too before he dared to look at Jared suspiciously.

"What is this ?" he asked Jensen. "A new resident for Omega Island ?"

"No," Jensen laughed. "This is my friend Jared who came to help us. Jared, this is Brandon."

They nodded to each other, unsure of the other's place in Jensen's life. Jensen probably smelt the awkwardness as well as felt it, for he brought a comforting hand to the small of Jared's back that immediately settled him. Brandon could still smell that Jensen hadn't claimed him, but the alpha's attitude was one of possession and support.

The islander received the message loud and clear, and turned his glare to burn Misha with his resentment when he heard the other alpha's chuckle.

"Come on, Brandon. You don't stand a chance."

"That remains to be seen," Brandon replied, but it felt more like a goading than a real challenge.

"Jensen, what's this place ?" Jared asked as soon as the other omega and Misha had begun to walk away with the fully loaded wagon pulled by a draft horse.

"I'm sorry you didn't get a better welcome, Brandon has always been a bit of a brat. But he said it, this is an island for omegas. The ones I've met too late, that I couldn't help in good time. You're neither the first nor the last, I'm sure, to find yourself in a bit of a predicament after the first two months in the Islands have passed and no husband has magically appeared. Not all of those omegas are as strong as you, or maybe as resourceful ; some of them end up on the street. I never thought it was an acceptable situation, I had to do something and help them get out of there. Hence this island."

"Why didn't you help them settle in Ismia ?"

"That's what I had planned to do at first. Opening a shelter for them, and also for those omegas who had nowhere else to live, to be able to offer a solution before the worst happened to them too. I was working with the previous padre, who was as concerned as me with this problem, and he dissuaded me from doing this, saying that it would encourage the alphas to avoid marriage even more. This padre used to give shelter to the omegas in the temple back then, he was a good man, not like the current one who is more about making sure he will get his subsidies from Sheppard every month. Before he died, the old padre made me promise to find other ways to help the omegas, and that's how I came up with the idea for the Omega Fund. As for this island, it was a way to let the omegas heal far from their abusers, but also to hide them from the law if they didn't want to go back to the mainland after the end of their King's grace."

Jensen watched Jared with a touch of worry.

"I thought you'd like to come here and see what we've done, help with it all. Was I wrong ?"

"No," Jared answered truthfully, throat a bit tight. "I was just thinking… You're still taking me there, right after I was the reason why the commandant led his army to your island ?"

"Were you responsible for alpha Morgan pursuing you ? Did you ask him to come visit you ?"

"No, but I seem to make things so much more complicated for you."

"You don't. Life is complicated."

"I don't know. Maybe I'm not that trustworthy."

"I'd trust you with my life, Jared, and I wanted you to see this. Come on."

Jared received a warmer welcome from the other omegas, and even Brandon's attitude became more friendly as the day went on. They unloaded the wagon and brought everything inside the community house. Then they shared a good and simple meal prepared with the island's harvests. The omegas lived in quasi-autarky thanks to the fruits of their labor. Jensen, Misha, and the few other people in on the secret only provided what the omegas couldn't grow or breed themselves.

Jared learned a lot listening to them, while the alphas went around to help with anything that needed muscles and maybe some talent the omegas didn't possess. The garden was positively delicious, and it gave Jared a lot of ideas about the way to enhance Jensen's on Tellia. He had long wished to give him this gift, or maybe this souvenir of the time they were together. He now knew what could still be done by the end of spring, and his basket was full of bulbs and rhizome long before he left, as well as two beautiful bouquets, one for him and one for Mishael.

Jensen smiled delightfully at the smell, but Misha seemed unconcerned, though Jared brought the flowers to his nose.

"Don't bother, sweet boy, my sense of smell is nonexistent. I find myself lucky that I can admire those shimmering colors, as well as the elegance and delicateness of the corollas and stems."

"You can't smell ?" Jared repeated, stunned. "I'm sorry, this is so rude and insensitive of me. Please forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive, and no reason to feel bad for me either. You can't miss what you never had and it allowed me to _see_ people before I smelled them. Omegas will always be more to me than the sum of their pheromones."

//////////// 

"First time I saw Misha, he was playing the piper in my garden while I was sleeping naked in my hammock on the balcony. Awkward doesn't begin to cover it. I asked if he was the Pied Piper and he said that was his cousin twice-removed."

Jared snorted, that was Misha alright !

"So I asked what he was doing here," Jensen continued, "if there was some kind of animal I didn't know about that he had to lead away from my land. He answered that he wanted to know the owner of the most beautiful and spiritual island north of the delta."

"Spiritual ?" Jared wondered from the comfort of the couch.

They had been back at home for a short while, both tired and ready to retire in their bedrooms, but Jared just couldn't let go of Jensen after such a day.

"Yeah," Jensen replied, "Misha swears that because he can't smell, he's able instead to feel vibrations, some sort of energy coming off of anything, and that he can tell if something is good or evil."

"So what's his verdict ? Is the island good or evil ?"

"Good, of course, and he claims that's why I was attracted to Tellia ; not because I wanted something big to have space to myself, but because our vibrations meshed, a bit like two people in love."

Like true mates, Jared thought. He wished Jensen would give himself as freely to his omega as he had to his island. Jensen regretted he wasn't a very good farmer, but his dedication and love for the land shone through every one of the ways he took care of her.

Jared couldn't help wanting to see such devotion focused on himself. Jared had no doubt Jensen would be just as wonderful and caring as a mate.

"So you see why I asked him to help when I built the o-shelter," Jensen continued. "We improvised ourselves as architects and masons, with the help of one of the omegas who had lived with a real mason for a while and had learned one thing or three during that time. All the other ones helped too. This was their home and they wanted to be able to say they had built it with their own hands."

"You know," Jared mused, "I get why the padre thought it was better to encourage the alphas to marry the omegas, but I think he was wrong anyway. Our society is all about keeping omegas at home, serving their families, so maybe that was his aim. You were right to think that omegas needed a shelter on Ismia, to prevent a fate worse than death. You don't know what it means to live with everyone constantly judging what you're doing and thinking, convinced that they know better than you, and then doing nothing when they see you falling. I wish you had persevered and created that shelter."

Jensen was silent for a while, lost in his own thinking.

"I can't tell what would be best," he sighed in the end. "I couldn't even fight Sheppard on that subject now, not since he came up with the numerus clausus rule for omega boarding houses. I didn't give him much of a choice when I found a loophole about the school, so I have to pick my battles. I'll see what I can do when the dust has settled."

This was as good as a promise for Jared. He knew Jensen enough to know that it would be done.

//////////// 

"How do you want me to pose this time ? Provided I don't fall asleep right away."

Jensen watched him long enough without answering for Jared to feel embarrassingly self-conscious.

"Jensen ?"

"I do have an idea, but I'm not sure how much you'll appreciate it."

"Try me."

"Alright. I'd like to paint you shirtless. Half-reclining in bed maybe, as if you had fallen asleep waiting for your lover. See, you wouldn't even have to be afraid of falling asleep for real. What do you say ?"

It said a lot about Jared and his love for Jensen that he wanted to agree, just like that. No discussion, no question. He wanted to disrobe in front of his mate and please him. It was somewhat painful to fight himself and remember that they were not mated, not yet, that he could still say no to his alpha's desires.

"If I say yes, will you show it to someone else or will it be just for you ?"

"Just for me, Jared, and you if you wish to see it."

Really, this was Jared's only concern. He took his shirt off slowly, awkwardly, and asked where Jensen wanted him to lie.

//////////// 

Jensen had been about to summon his usual dealer to sell the pilso harvest when Jared had stopped him. He was intrigued by what his mate had said about the fruit and wanted to try to transform it on his own.

Easier said than done, but he wouldn't give up, and he figured that Mishael, who had lived here for several years already, could probably help him.

"At Jensen's suggestion," he told her the next time she visited, "I've been trying to make jam with these pilso but so far, it's a bust. It tastes either like water or papier-mâché."

"I have a wonderful recipe at home, something the Visnians have been doing for centuries…"

Mishael stopped abruptly, hand on her mouth.

"What ?" Jared asked.

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I should have told you about the Visnians, but you're so easy to talk to, and Jensen seems to trust you…"

"I still don't understand…"

Jensen's voice interrupted him.

"You can tell him whatever you want, Mishael. I do trust Jared, and you should, too. He will never do anything to put the Visnians in danger."

Jensen approached the two omegas to take a bowl from the dish closet. Jared was too busy grinning like a loon at his words to realize what Jensen had done before the alpha had almost left the kitchen. But then the light went on.

"What are you doing with that bowl ?" he stopped Jensen at the door. "Don't tell me you're going to use it for your paint ?!"

"But I need it !"

"I don't care, you're not ruining another bowl this way. Give it back and use your own stuff."

"But they're all encrusted," Jensen explained with a pout.

"So wash them. You're still not getting one of my bowls."

"You said you wouldn't change all my habits," Jensen whined.

"Well, I lied."

Mishael was still covering her mouth as she watched Jensen bringing the bowl back to safety in Jared's hands, but it was obvious she was now trying to hide her laughter. Jensen left with a wounded expression on his face that Jared thought was too cute for any adult alpha. He would one day manage to teach him to wash his bowls and his brushes, instead of constantly buying new ones.

Jared turned back to Mishael to find that she was now watching him with the same amusement.

"What's so funny ?"

"Subtext, Jared. Subtext is always more revealing than what is said aloud."

Jared stared at her with no more idea as to what she was alluding to.

"Never mind," she concluded, "I'll get you this recipe, and I swear you'll never eat any other jam after that."

//////////// 

Jared rowed lazily in the general direction indicated by Jensen. He knew they were going for lunch to see two of Jensen's best friends, but that was pretty much all the information he had gleaned so far.

"So what's their name ? Are they a couple ?"

"Yes, they are. And they're both called Samantha, alpha Ferris and omega Smith. One drunken night, soon after their mating, someone who shall remain nameless decided it would be clever to call the omega Sam-O, and the alpha Sam-A. So that now, like it or not, they're known as Sammo and Samma by everyone around these parts."

"Misha, right ?"

"My lips are sealed. But he was there indeed."

"Misha and Mishael, Sammo and Samma, are all your couple friends required to bear a similar first name ?" Jared asked, amused.

"Absolutely ! If you ever get married, your mate will have to be called Jerad if you want us to keep being friends."

Jared shot him a dirty look.

"Okay, not funny, I'm sorry."

Jared thought they were both J's anyway, and that had to count for something.

The two women were a hoot. It was easy to see they had fun together and wanted all their friends to share their enthusiasm for life. They had to be strong, for two women alpha and omega would always be considered a lost cause and frowned upon for the very little chance they stood at giving life together. Statistics were against them, just as the secular mores. Incidentally, Padre Lehne, consistent in his bigotry, had refused to officiate at any mating ceremony to celebrate their union, hoping in vain to discourage them.

They didn't seem to care, as long as they had each other, and friends who never hesitated to show their support and affection.

"Those holier-than-thou alphas and self-righteous omegas can all go screw themselves !" Samma exclaimed, her only comment on the topic. "At least they'll have fun for once."

You didn’t need long to realize that Jensen was infinitely close to their heart, through all the teasing and ribbing they inflicted on each other.

"I taught this kid all he knows," Sammo revealed in a fake conspiratorial tone heard by everyone, and that's how Jared finally learned that Sammo had been Jensen's housekeeper for quite a while before she met and fell in love with Samma.

"You left too early in his apprenticeship, he's relapsed since then," Jared lamented.

"His paint ?" Sammo guessed.

"Everywhere, right up into my kitchen."

They both tsk-tsked at Jensen, who put his hand against his heart and acted wounded by their alliance.

The Sams had a much smaller island than Jensen, but they didn't do much planting anyway. Jared was given the tour of their farm and discovered that they specialized in leeches.

"Leeches ?!"

"Absolutely," Jensen confirmed. "There's this endemic variety that you can find on many islands. Big and tasty, very juicy."

"That's disgusting !" Jared began.

But then he carefully scrutinized Jensen's face.

"Wait, are you making fun of me ?"

Jensen couldn't help laughing then.

"You _are_ , you dick !"

"Don't be mean, Jensen," Sammo menaced like a mother disappointed in her child.

Jensen snorted.

"I'd only be mean if I thought Jared unable to read me like an open book. He's too smart to fall for my balderdash."

"And don't you forget it !" Jared warned him with a smile denying any heat in his words.

"You boys are too cute," Samma mocked them before she brought Jared to an artificial pond where he could make out a myriad of small bodies.

"Our species live in the water, we have about two thousand individuals in each pond."

"So what do you use them for ?"

"Main use is as fertilizer producers. Leeches do not need to feed often, out in the wild. If we overfeed them just a little bit, they exude some viscous liquid that is highly sought by all farmers here."

"What about the other uses ?"

"A few are sacrificed to the medicine altar. Like their mainland cousins, doctors here need them for bloodletting. But the Visnians who use them – the Islands' leeches, not the continental species – also taught us to prepare a very particular ointment, based on that same fluid they secrete to repel fellow creatures, that you slather all over your body to ensure they won't bite you."

Samma was unstoppable, passionate about her work and her livestock farming. Jared couldn't shake the disgust he felt and Sammo recognized his dubious looks, probably from her own experience.

"You get used to it," she assured him.

Right. Let them have all the leeches of the Islands and he'd happily keep the crops.

//////////// 

"I was wondering…"

Jared stopped, not sure how to tackle the subject.

"Go on," Jensen encouraged him. "I told you, you can ask me anything."

"Okay. The point is, I don't understand why no one really talks about the Visnians. Mishael wasn't even sure she could tell me about one of their recipes before you said she could trust me. So what's the big deal ? The population in Ismia doesn't really mingle with them. But you, and Misha, Samma, you're clearly close to them enough to know their customs and use their knowledge, and still it seems that talking about them is forbidden. Maybe even dangerous. And I don't get it."

Jensen took the time to sit next to him on the couch before he answered.

"I wouldn't say dangerous, and we do talk about the Visnians, just not to anybody, or about anything. But the fact is, Misha, Samma or me, and some other people you don't know yet, we're kind of wary of the army. Possibly even more of the Intendant, and by extension the King, if they happen to realize someday that, as numerous as the Islands are, there's a huge continent right next door that is just there for the taking. The Visnians wouldn't be able to fight off Morgan's regiment ; they have no army, no weapons. All the Visnians I know are peaceful people. They have little to no interest in our society, but they don't see the danger looming either. They'd be totally blindsided, should the King suddenly order to requisition their land. They would lose everything in a heartbeat."

"Shouldn't we tell them in this case ? Also, help your fellow settlers learn about them, so that they can make the right choice if the worst comes to pass ?"

Jared remembered vividly the commandant explaining how distributing free food would have the remote settlers more amenable to the government. Maybe they could do something like that to bring awareness of the Visnian culture to the colonists in a non-threatening way.

"That's what we're trying to do," Jensen replied, nodding all along, "slowly, and very carefully. When we distribute the anti-leech ointment, we make sure to let it be known that it was shared by the Visnian people. When we explain to new settlers how to cultivate some local vegetable, we never forget to mention that the Visnians taught us in the first place. But it doesn't nullify the problem, because we have little to no impact over the King's will, and we don't control what kind of reports are delivered to him and his ministers. I fear one day will come when all the Islands will be occupied and the government will need more land to keep expanding the colony. Maybe not during our lives, but it will happen. The Visnians have much more to lose than us in this confrontation. I'm not only talking about their land, I include all their ways, their customs."

Jensen's voice, fraught with worried premonition, had Jared shivering in fear.

"Maybe we could still live side by side ?" he tried to reassure himself. "You can't be certain that it would end up badly for them."

"You're right, I can't. But I see the way the army exterminates the chowli. I know how much Morgan misses the endless war his life used to be before he settled in Ismia by the King's order. I hear how difficult it is for his officers to keep the soldiers in line, when they have nothing to do outside of uneventful patrols and repetitive exercises. I see proofs of Sheppard's greediness every day. It all adds up to a depressing conclusion, one I wish I could ignore, but I've never been good at fooling myself for very long."

It was definitely depressing, a fate Jared didn't care to imagine, even though he didn't know any Visnian personally.

"I guess I'll have to keep hoping for the best, then. I don't understand war anyway, or the need to steal from others. I don't understand why we can't all live peacefully."

"I wish we were all as sane as you," Jensen smiled as he stood up to get back to his initial destination. Jared called him out as he was moving away.

"You keep locking yourself in your studio in the evening. Soon, I'm going to feel neglected."

Jensen didn't even try to hide his smirk.

"Good try, Jared, but I'm not showing you these paintings."

"Why ? You always show me."

"This one's a commission."

"So ?"

"So if I were painting for you, would you like someone else to see it first ?"

Jared frowned, and then pouted.

"I don't like when you make sense. Why are you so logical ?"

"Because I'm an alpha, of course."

Perfect contrast to his earlier tension, Jensen's smile was so big and happy, waiting for his companion's arguments, that Jared's coherent thoughts came to an abrupt halt to get lost in lusty daydreaming.

"I promise to show them once they're done and completely finished, is that okay with you ?"

"Alright," Jared grumbled. "But you could at least tell me who you're painting for."

"So that you'd bother them with your puppy eyes until they gave you permission to look ? I don't think so."

Defeated, Jared got back to his book, looking for the last passage he had been reading, but Jensen changed his mind and turned back to sit next to him once more.

"I've thought about our conversation the other day, about the way you were found and the fact that you only know your first name."

"That's right. What about it ?"

"Well, stop me if I'm being too nosy, but where does your surname come from, then ? Why Padalecki ?"

"There's no great mystery. The orphanage survived mostly thanks to private donations, the royal subsidies were not significant enough. So Padre Jim would look for what he called sponsor families and offered them a way to reach closer to the divine. Each family would make a substantial donation in the particular name of a kid, helping to raise and feed them, and this kid would in exchange take their surname, to become the shining beacon of those people's generosity. My sponsor family was called Padalecki, hence the name."

"Were they nice people ?"

"I wouldn't know, I never met them."

It shut Jensen up for a short while.

"You know," the alpha began again hesitantly, "I don't think I'll ever get what it means to be an orphan, to be raised with so many other kids, knowing you won't ever be the most important person in the world for at least your own parents. I don't think I can understand, even if you were to tell me your whole life story, because I didn't feel it in my heart and in my bones. But…"

Jensen faltered and Jared laced their fingers together to encourage him to talk.

"I never told anyone here," Jensen began anew, eyes on their joined hands, "but my two brothers… one of my brothers died when he was still a toddler, and the two who remained are my half-brothers, the results of my father's wandering moods. He brought them home so that my o-dad would raise them. My dad was so outraged at first, and I kind of understand him, but every time I hear you, all I can think is that I'm so happy Father didn't abandon Josh and Eric !"

Back at the orphanage, Jared never had anyone he felt so close to that he couldn't imagine losing them. But he loved Jensen now, and he could relate all too well with that fear.

"That's one thing at least your father did well," he concluded, satisfied for his mate.

//////////// 

"Why are you looking at me like that ?" Jared asked as he stood up straight from thinning out the galciusis he had sown not long after his arrival.

"I was imagining my next painting."

"Oh, so you've finished that mystery commission of yours ?" Jared gently mocked.

"I have, and I'm rather happy with the outcome, so I've decided to indulge myself and paint my favorite subject again."

"Is the subject aware of your decision ?"

"Not yet, I plan to tell him all about it tomorrow when I show him another beautiful part of Tellia."

"You would stoop so low as to seduce him with your island's beauty ?"

"No, of course not. I would use magic."

Jensen left on these enigmatic words, displaying a contented and quite annoying smile. True to himself, he refused to tell Jared anything more before they left the next morning for another excursion. Even then, Jared only managed to learn that they were headed to a pilgrimage site. They rode for two hours in a direction Jared hadn't travelled yet and, as always, the gorgeous scenery helped to keep his mind off the surprise Jensen had cooked up for him.

The site was not much to look at on a first impression, a simple clearing in the woods they were going through. But Jensen said it was supposed to be a magical place. The boulder especially, sitting imposingly in the middle of the meadow. He called it a fertility rock, or so the ancient Visnians thought, who had placed some of these rocks in a few islands for the pilgrims who found it hard to become parents. It was easy to imagine how the young couples climbed the boulder and joined on its flattened top to make love, benefiting from the Earth's positive vibrations.

"Would you agree to take off your breeches and undergarment," Jensen asked, "to lie on your face on the rock, arms wide-spread, as in prayer for the blessing of a child ? I would cover your butt with a towel."

"Do you want me entirely naked ?" Jared heard himself propose instead.

His voice was far deeper than usual, it belonged to a part of himself that Jared wasn't sure he recognized, that same part licentious enough, or madly in love, that had the courage to offer such a perverted position. Only an omega of no virtue would consider shedding all their clothes for an artist.

"You would ?" Jensen hesitated, unsure of Jared's real commitment.

Jared was terribly aware that such a decision could only corroborate any number of alphas' low opinions about omegas, their perception of them as weak flesh and docile mates. But he knew Jensen wanted it, wanted him, and somehow that was enough. It was the best way to prove to Jensen that he would do anything for him, even out of the bounds of mating or marriage. Anything for his love.

He had pleaded for a different treatment of the omegas. Now was the time to prove that this omega was ready for a change.

//////////// 

Jared hardly knew what to do with himself, as he had been forbidden to do anything on his special day. Jensen was at his beck and call, running around to make sure that Jared would never forget his twenty-first birthday.

He had been able to sleep late, Jensen bringing him his breakfast to eat in bed. They had played music and sung for a while, then Jensen had served a light lunch. A quick nap for both of them on the patio had led to several matches of pall-mall in the garden that Jensen had prepared the previous night with Jared none the wiser. The alpha had bought the game on a whim a few days earlier during a trip to Ismia, and he seemed quite satisfied with his purchase. Jared was glad too, if only because Jensen had to come close to him many times, encircling him with his arms to correct the way he held the mallet or help him shoot through the iron arch. Jensen didn't have to know that Jared had a pretty good aim on his own.

Still the afternoon kept on getting better, that's what Jared thought when Jensen sat him down on the couch, back in the house, and told him to close his eyes. Jared heard him move around but he didn't try to cheat.

"You can look now."

Several parcels lay on the coffee table, wrapped in cloth of various colors, all tied with a different-looking ribbon and a big knot, like festive candy balloons. Such a beautiful view that Jared didn't dare touching for fear of destroying it.

"Go on, open them up !" Jensen got impatient as he sat next to Jared.

Torn out of his trance-like state, Jared chose one of the parcels and drew on its ribbon. The cloth folded all around to reveal a vast quantity of small pieces carved by a human hand and that obviously belonged to a puzzle ; each piece was painted in a very recognizable style.

"Did you… did you paint me a puzzle ?"

"More precisely, I did the painting and I had the board cut by a professional. I knew you were tired of the too-simple ones we had found in town. This ought to keep you busy for a while."

"My gods, are they all a different puzzle ? All a different painting ?"

"The ten of them. My commission."

"Your… gods, I love you !"

Jared threw himself at Jensen to steal a long kiss. All of Jensen's mysteries had turned out to be fantastic surprises and this one was the most beautiful of all. A gift so personal, so keenly thought and prepared, that Jared had to believe he meant more to Jensen than a simple housekeeper should. Every day on Tellia brought a little drop of hope to Jared's well of optimism. This amounted to a summer storm.

"Glad you like your birthday gift," Jensen joked when Jared allowed him to resurface and breathe.

"I love it. I'm just sad that I probably won't have time to do them all before I have to leave."

Jensen put a finger under his chin to make Jared look at him.

"Jared, if you want to stay, I can file an application to the Intendant asking for you to stay. I can even go to the commandant, I'm pretty sure he'll approve the motion. And my recommendation could help too."

"You would do that for me ? You've done so much already."

"Of course. It's very selfish of me, I don't want to let you go."

Not a summer storm, a downpour.

"So it's decided, I'll talk to Sheppard and Morgan next time I go to Ismia. Now you're going to play for a bit and I'm going to prepare dinner."

Jensen served him an aperitif while he was waiting. Jared had agreed that today was a good day to try something more alcoholic than the tinel, and he felt his head spinning a bit as he laid out all the pieces of the first puzzle on his special table. Happiness reinforced the feeling : Jensen wanted him to stay !

He didn't get far outlining the puzzle before Jensen called him to the dinner table with his unfinished glass that he filled right away. Jensen had done well with the meal, offering all of Jared's very favorite dishes. The bread was the last of the batch Jared had baked this week, copying the shape of a rake to amuse his mate. On this special occasion, he got to eat all the ends he wanted.

By the time he was back on the couch, Jared was past slightly tipsy and he had no intention to stop drinking, for he knew this would give him the courage to act. When Jensen came to sit next to him, Jared didn't lose time in small talk before he turned to his alpha and kissed him again.

"Thank you, for everything," he said, and then attacked Jensen's mouth once more.

//////////// 

Jensen went with the flow for a long moment, giving as good as he got, but when Jared's hands began to wander around his body and he felt he would soon be incapable of holding off, he gripped the omega's wrists and made him stop.

"Jared, you have to calm down."

"Why don't you want me ?" Jared protested, still kissing him, too loose with alcohol to keep the hurt in. "We're perfect for each other, we don't like to be told what we should do or think, but we always seem to agree, always complement each other, we'd be perfect together."

"Listen to me, Jared. You are perfect, I know that, and maybe when I was younger I wouldn't have given you the choice, I would have mated you the moment I met you, right there, right then. I'm not that kind of alpha anymore, I've gone through too much stuff, and I promised myself I wouldn't mate because I didn't want to put any omega or another child through what I endured. It wouldn't be fair to them."

"But it's fair to me ? I'm not the people who hurt you, you know that. I'm the man who… who loves you, your omega. And it's not only biological, we've taken the time to know each other, and the more we do, the more I'm attracted to you. And I thought it was the same for you."

Jensen stopped keeping himself back to take Jared in his arms. The omega was beyond hurting, he felt rejected and unworthy, and Jensen had the power to do something about it.

"It is the same. I'm… I'm falling in love with you too, Jared, and I don't know what to do about it. I'm not trying to hurt you, you have to know that, but I have to think about me too. You're asking me to make a decision that will have repercussions on our whole lives, something we'll never be able to change back. I need more time. I'm not like you, I have no certainty beyond my feelings."

Jared had cuddled against him, his face plastered against Jensen's neck to inhale his scent, and the alpha could feel him calm down gradually.

"I'm sorry I spoiled your birthday," Jensen added, his hands stroking the omega's back and the nape of his neck to soothe him some more.

"You didn't spoil it, it was the best birthday ever. My first birthday celebration."

"Really ?" Jensen asked, measuring once again the very different lives they had led.

No wonder Jared knew what he wanted if he never had anything before, whereas Jensen still struggled to know what he needed to get rid of and what was worth keeping.

"Really. Can I ask for something more ?"

"Of course, anything."

"I promise I won't push, but I don't want to sleep alone tonight. Can I stay with you ?"

This was not a sacrifice, and he had promised anything.

"Alright, you're welcome to my room, and we'll both keep our hands to ourselves."

//////////// 

_"I'm sick and tired of caring for those bastards you keep bringing home. How old is that one ? I bet he's as old as Jensen. You were fucking some whore behind my back by that time already, while I was pregnant with your alpha heir ?!"_

_"You don't know what you're talking about. Stop being a drama queen. You're an omega, you're supposed to care for any child. This is a child. I'm giving you the opportunity to do what you do best without the pregnancy you've never failed to tell me how much you hated. So be what you were born to be and stop turning my life into hell !"_

 

The images took him then to his little brother's nursery, and his o-dad bent over Jack's crib.

 

_"Nappy, what you doing ?"_

_"It's nothing, darling, go back to sleep."_

_"What happened to Jack, Nappy ? He's all blue."_

_"I told you, Jensen, it's nothing. Go back to your bed and let Nappy deal."_

_"What's happening here, and why is Jensen still up ?" The booming voice of his impatient father._

_"I don't know, Matlin. I found the kids here and Jack doesn't seem well."_

_"Jensen, what did you do ?"_

_"I didn't do nothing, Father. I promise, I was in my bed…"_

_"Jack ! Matlin, he's not breathing anymore ! Do something, call the doctor ! Jack !!!"_

 

And then the inevitable fight with his Father, right before he left Ismia to never come back, right before he settled on Tellia.

 

_"I never touched or poisoned my brother, and you know it. All my life, you kept me on a leash like I was a danger to my family, when you know perfectly well what happened."_

_"You're right, I know. But it wouldn't have done any good to put your o-dad in a jail, you and your brothers needed him. I had a valuable bargaining chip with him in this, the power to take his only remaining child far away from him if he ever did something to my other children. Whereas nobody would have done anything against a three-year-old kid like you. And then there was no investigation, the doctor thought it was just one of those terrible cases of crib death, probably because he couldn't imagine someone killing his own alpha infant. It was best not to talk about it anymore. I got to keep my heir and my family, and that was all that mattered to me."_

_"Did you ever cry for Jack's death ?"_

_"Of course I did. I'm not a monster, Jensen, but I'm a pragmatist. I had to protect you."_

_"And for that, you lied to me all those years. I grew up thinking you believed I had killed my own brother, and you left Josh and Eric under Nappy's care after he had tried to kill one of them."_

 

He couldn't help sobbing aloud, but it was Jared lovingly repeating his name that called him back to awareness.

That's how the dam broke and Jensen told Jared all about his lost childhood. How his already fragile omega-dad had killed his own child with a poisoned toy in trying to get rid of the bastards he had been ordered to take care of. How both his parents had pretended to believe, all these years since he was three, that Jensen was the one to suffocate his little brother in a fit of jealousy. How he had grown up in such a deleterious atmosphere, stuck between two controlling parents, protected only by the love of his two remaining brothers. How he had run away as far as possible after this last, huge fight with the patriarch who was so sure it was nothing but late teenage rebellion and that his heir would come back sooner or later. How Jensen had definitely escaped to live the life of a hermit, far from people who lied and manipulated and didn't love you in the end.

Jared held him in his arms and listened to his disjointed confession with no judging look, no condemning word. As dawn infiltrated the world around them, Jensen and Jared slowly fell back into sleep, entwined on the hammock, over the land that had helped both men to find again a real measure of peace.

//////////// 

He couldn't believe he had told Jared everything about his parents, about the veiled accusations laid on him all his life. About his shame for abandoning his brothers, and for not being strong enough to fight back earlier.

He couldn't believe it and yet he felt better, lighter, like he had slayed some real dragon and won. A bit knocked out, too, but mostly okay. Still worthy of Jared's love.

He had done so much these past few months to show the omega that he was a good person. All those things he was proud of, like the shelter, trusting him with his most dangerous secrets although Jared had done nothing to prove he could be trusted. But Jensen knew. Jared was still so young but he was trustworthy, of that Jensen had never doubted, a fighter, strong and proud.

Jensen, stupid fool in love, knew all this.

He was even prepared to pay whatever sum of money would prove necessary to sway the Intendant's decision in the right direction and allow Jared to remain in the Islands. He would of course never confess to it in front of Jared because the omega would worry about the way to reimburse him one day, making their already twisted relationship even more complicated.

By the time he left his parents' home, Jensen had vowed never to love or trust again. Looking back in the mirror, he could see what a pretty piss-poor job of keeping his word he had done. And to add insult to injury, here he was now on Visnia, because the countdown was close to the end and, in case the derogation didn't work, he still had a last, desperate card to play to keep Jared close to him.

He had had a hard time coming up with a valid lie that Jared would deem convincing enough to explain his absence for the day. He probably got away with it because Jared was used by now to his surprises and they generally turned out for the best. They were more and more tied to each other, rarely doing anything without the help of the other one. Another time, another place, Jensen would have felt suffocated by such a tight-knit and demanding relationship, but there was nothing of the sort nowadays. Jared made him feel cared for, and Jensen feared the loneliness he would experience if he didn't manage to succeed in his plan. That was maybe one of the things he had tried to avoid in keeping the omega at arm's length for so long, but it was too late to cry about it now.

Better take the next step. He knew he wasn't completely ready to pop the question, but he just couldn't imagine his future without Jared featuring prominently in it and Jensen had always been good at drawing logical conclusions.

Thus his visit today to Radraniakian. The man was short and wrinkled, so ancient it was impossible to say from his scent if he had been once alpha or omega. His gender made no difference anyway, for he was an artist in all the ways Jensen would never achieve, dedicated to his craft all day long. A carver, able to create or reproduce into any matter whatever was brought to him.

On his way to Radraniakian's house, Jensen was intercepted by Lanndee. The beautiful beta had shared her bed with him on more than one occasion, and she was obviously delighted to see him again after such a long estrangement.

"Hello, pretty boy. Did you miss me ?"

"Hello to you too. I always miss your stellar company, Lanndee, you know it. But I'm not here for pleasure today."

"I see," she lost her smile as she smelled him. "What's that scent ? Have you met someone ? I thought you said you'd never mate."

"I've said a lot of stupid things in my life. Alphas can be dumb and blinkered sometimes."

"So it seems," Lanndee concluded before she left without a fight, in true beta fashion, offering the sight of her gorgeous and naked backside to Jensen.

He marveled at not feeling the usual attraction. Jared had truly ruined him for everyone else.

Mikalé, Radraniakian's mate, welcomed him with a hug. Jensen had spent many days here over the years, learning from the master, and he often thought of the old couple as some sort of honorary parents he admired and truly loved, who never failed to tell him when he was being obtuse but also praised his achievements and talents.

Radraniakian set aside his work to welcome him in his turn and offered him a drink to sip while Jensen explained the reason for this impromptu visit. Jensen took his drawing out of his pocket and raised it for his master.

"I'd like you to create a binding bracelet with this."

"Is it not the way your people show they are tied to someone else ?"

"Yes, this is the symbol of the bond between two mates."

"And you have found your mate," Radraniakian chuckled, "which would explain why poor little Lanndee left in a huff and your scent is all different."

"I think I have found him, yes."

"You think or you know ?"

"I'm pretty sure, I just don't know where to go from here."

"I think you know, boy, you're just afraid. I was like you once, and I can testify that you may run and hide, the feelings won't disappear. So give me this drawing."

Jensen had sketched as precisely as possible the shape of Tellia, knowing that the old Visnian artist, who had known his island for a long time, would add any detail he might be aware of. He had included in his drawing all the places holding a particular meaning for Jared and he, a map of their unnamed love story : the farmhouse, the fields where they worked together, the fertility rock, the lake where Jared had seen his first dragons. It made for a busy sketch but he had no doubt that Radraniakian would make the best of the two-inch wide, one-inch high, similar metal plates that both mates would wear on their wrists, tied with large leather bindings.

//////////// 

The second harvest of the year was by far the biggest and the most tiring. Jared and Jensen were away from home most days, like all settlers in their farmer community, to help with the job from farm to farm.

They were on Rick and Katie's island today, radiant newlyweds. No words had been necessary for Jared, only a look and a breath, to know that his friend was pregnant already and happy about it. Jared had stayed with her for a while as she took on the daunting task to prepare all those alphas' lunch with Rick's elderly o-mother and three other omegas – one of them childless and the other two with adult children – who had been free to make the trip with their mates. He had chatted a bit with Katie, asking about her life and the future kid's name, before he had gone back to work with the alphas.

Most of them had looked at him dubiously at first, unsure what a weak omega thought he could do here among fifteen broad-shouldered, muscled alphas. His own deceptively huge silhouette had probably helped them decide to let him play along. Jensen had put in a good word for him too, advising his fellow alphas to wait and see. But it was all the hard work he had done that had gained their trust and respect, Jared was sure of it.

Five days into it, and his working alongside the alphas was now a given. He was making friends among the farmers and their mates he didn't know previously. None wondered about his presence anymore, all of them acting as if Jensen and he were mated in all but that last little detail that should have them sleeping together. But it seemed their respective scents were already quite meshed, and Jensen's respectful and loving attitude had them all assuming that it was only a matter of time before the two of them wed. Jared saw no need to disabuse them of this belief he shared with all his heart.

Jared had a moment of panic when he thought he had smelled a yellow flower he recognized all too well in the armful of feeria he had just deposited on the cart.

"What's wrong ?" Jensen worried when Jared called him.

"I think… this is a virgin's poppy, I think I've smelled it. Jensen, don't let me make a fool of myself, I beg you."

"Jared, don't worry. The hairs on the stem have to come in contact with your skin for the reaction to occur, and the feeria neutralized their action. You have nothing to fear, I promise."

Jared felt his heartbeat slowly going back to a normal rhythm, but his hands still squeezed Jensen's tightly. He couldn't stand the idea of making a fool of himself in front of all his friends.

"How do you know all this ?"

"You're not the first omega to be tricked with this pretty poppy, that's why I've always questioned Morgan's part in what happened to you. As for the interaction with the feeria, I learned from the Visnians. I'll take you to them someday, you'll be able to ask all the questions swirling in that pretty head of yours."

Lunch was a welcome pause after hours of hard work, before the nap in the hay that would let him snuggle close to his mate for a glorious hour. The meal provided an opportunity to talk with everyone and laugh out loud at the silly contest the alphas had going on, telling the most outrageous stories they could imagine.

One of the guys kept confusing Sammo and Samma, no matter how many times he was reminded that the o meant omega and the a alpha. Jared wondered if, a bit like Misha, he had a poor sense of smell and wasn't able to distinguish the scents shared by the couple.

"Don't mock him, guys," Jensen pleaded. "Names are hard to remember sometimes. I used to call my o-dad Nappy when I was very young, and the name stayed. No one even remembers his real name is Titus."

"I wouldn't want anyone to remember I was once called Titus !" alpha Jennings guffawed, followed by everyone.

"Why did you call him like that ?" Jared asked then.

"According to my father, I must have been about two when I came to find my o-dad one day. "'Not now, Jensen,'" he told me, "'Daddy's napping.'", which I promptly transformed in daddy nappi'. I repeated it every day when my o-dad was going for a nap in the afternoon. My brothers decided to use it, and so the name stuck."

That kind of memory was so far from the ugly portrayal of his o-dad Jensen had painted, it reminded Jared of his dreams to have a family and share the everyday life with them.

"So who here had a different nickname during childhood ?" Katie asked the table. "Jared, I know you did."

"That's true. Padre Jim, the man who raised us at the orphanage," he explained for the people who had never heard about him, "used to call me Jay."

"No way !" Jensen exclaimed.

"Yes way," Jared responded. "He did until the day I was ten years old and I told him I was now too old for that. Why ? Is that so awful ?"

"No, not awful, it's just… my o-dad used to call me Jay when I was a little kid, until the day Father told him I was too old for that kind of thing. I was only four."

Misha commented on the amusing coincidence and there was no doubt it was very witty and deep, probably even amusing. But Jared and Jensen only had eyes for each other, perfectly remembering the joking conversation about Jensen's friends and the need for Jared to find a mate with a name close to his.

It was indeed nothing but a silly coincidence, but to Jared it felt like another sign. They were meant to be.

//////////// 

Today was their reward for all the hard harvesting work of the last fifteen days. Jared had done more than his part and, in addition to the financial bonus for his efforts, he deserved at least a whole day off, away from the house and the kitchen, to relax and enjoy life.

Relishing the cool waters of Tellia's second lake and its cascade, he seemed far more successful in this endeavor than Jensen. The words of alpha Jennings about Jared were etched in the alpha's mind.

"Why haven't you mated him already ? If he wasn't looking at you like you've hung the sky, I'd fall on my knees and pledge myself to him right now."

Jensen's answer – because he deserves better than me – was on the tip of his tongue, ready to burst out, but he hadn't let it pass. The truth was that he didn't want Jared to think there was someone better for him out there. He wanted Jared to love him unconditionally and forever. He wanted Jared for himself.

Jensen shut his mind and plunged into the clear waters of the lake. He should follow his own advice and use the day to relax and forget his worries. There was an omega swimming naked near the cascade and he intended to find him.

He came at Jared's side completely undetected and wrapped his arms around his waist to dunk him without notice. He heard Jared's dread in his cry, remembered his fear of something hidden in the water the first time he had taken him to Tellia, and made sure Jared realized quickly it was Jensen playing, not some horrible and giant beast ready to devour its prey.

The closed-mouth kiss wasn't as good as the usual ones, all those kisses they had shared these past weeks since Jared's birthday to say goodnight, but it calmed Jared at once. They resurfaced eventually and the omega didn't hesitate to punch him in the arm, but he made no move to get away.

"You're a dick ! I thought I had been gripped by a shark or something."

"I told you, there's no shark around here, only big, bad alphas."

"And you think you're funny ?" Jared kept spitting water and coughing, adorable in his anger.

"Maybe not, but at least I'm pretty."

He stole Jared's next words in a kiss, a real one this time, slow and sexy and heavy with desire. His body gravitated towards Jared's, his hands firmly applied to each of Jared's ass cheeks. He felt the omega's dick hardening in a rush and saluting his own, battle-ready.

Jared cried out again, but this time it was pain Jensen heard in his voice.

"Something bit me," he said, shooting a dark look at Jensen. "It hurts a lot."

"Did you apply the repulsive ointment every hour like I said ?"

Jared looked embarrassed.

"I did it the first time, but I was naked afterwards, and I didn't dare get out of the water. I didn't see any leech, so I thought I was safe."

"This will be your lesson for the future. Come on, we need to drain the bite before the toxin gets too far into your body."

They quickly swam towards the rocky shore, the place where they had left their clothes and their towels.

"Where's your bite ?" Jensen asked a red-faced Jared.

"On my thigh, behind… near my butt."

"Okay, I need you on your hands and knees and I'll suck the bite."

"What ?" Jared exclaimed, and he seemed close to fainting.

"Come on, Jared, this is not the first time I've seen you like this, and the more we wait, the more you'll hurt later."

Jared obeyed, but his eyes refused to meet Jensen's before he turned to assume the position.

The view was more attractive than all the exotic cascades in the world. Jensen had to rein in his desire to be able to act like the doctor he wasn't. He knew from experience how much the bite of the Islands' leech could hurt. A few people even seemed to be allergic and he didn't care to risk it with his mate.

The bite was clearly delineated by a deep red circle. At least the leech was gone, probably wiped away by Jared's hand, which meant that the amount of toxin couldn't be that bad. Jensen released the touch of worry he had kept inside and he applied his lips to the wound.

Jared moaned, a mix of pain and pleasure, and rocked on his knees. Jensen's face was mashed against his thigh, the scent of his mate's arousal so potent in this position that it was a constant struggle not to leave the bite unattended and use the body so freely offered. But he couldn't do it, and he needed a better angle.

"Turn over," he commanded, helping Jared to lie on his back.

The omega's eyes were closed tight, breath shallow and rushed. Jensen bent his legs and pushed his knees close to his head before he put his mouth back on the wound, sucking for all he was worth. He could feel his hair brushing against Jared's purple hard cock, angling his skull so that the brush movement would be more pleasurable each time Jensen came back after spitting the venom.

"Jensen, please. Love, I need…"

Jared probably didn't know what he needed, but Jensen could provide all the same. Still sucking the bite, he took Jared's cock in hand and began to stroke in the same rhythm, up and down, and up again.

Jared came violently, showering himself with transparent come, and Jensen kept on caressing him. He continued to suck the wound until he was sure the five recommended minutes had passed.

Jared was glowing and safe, and Jensen wanted nothing more than to fuck him into mating.


	5. Chapter 5

Jensen was a man on a mission.

Despite his plea, his offers for money, and Morgan's support, Sheppard still hadn't responded to his demand for an exemption. Jared only had seven days left in the Islands. By the end of this week, he would either be deported back to Tethreya, or married.

The decision was so easy in the end.

He made his way to Jared's apartment, slowly, savoring the steps leading to the moment his life would tilt on its axis and head towards love and companionship. No more doubt now, just the pleasure of anticipation.

The door to the small kitchen opened silently. Jensen let his nose direct him towards the bedroom, Jared's scent still so heavy – a comfort, a lifeline – but Jared wasn't here either. The noises coming from the bathroom informed him that Jared was washing away the last traces of ointment, grass, and dirt after their day at the cascade. Once again, Jensen followed the path to his mate and pushed the door open to find him half-bent above the stony washbasin, pulling the handle to activate the water pump.

Jared had changed quite a bit in the time he had been here. Working hard on the plantation, his shoulders and back had begun to broaden with muscles, his skin was smooth and healthily golden now, and Jensen felt the aching need to touch him again and again. To wrap him in his arms forever.

Jared was his. It had taken him almost six months to realize what the omega had known all along, but he didn't consider it as lost time. He was so fiercely in love with this man, and he would be able to take him with the knowledge that they were equal in all things.

//////////// 

Jared heard the door creaking as it was pushed completely open and he turned around to watch Jensen walking in.

"Jensen ?" Jared asked, surprised by this intrusion.

Jensen had seen him naked more than once by now but the fixity of the gaze was somewhat unsettling. He couldn't help but reach for his towel to hide his crotch behind it.

"No !" Jensen protested in a whisper. "Don't hide, please, don't ever hide from me. You're so beautiful, and I love you so much."

The towel fell from his hand, leaving him bare once again to Jensen's loving scrutiny. Coming closer, Jensen raised his right hand to apply it against Jared's heart that was beating so quickly. The mere touch, combined with the alpha's words and his visual caress of his body, gained Jared the beginning of a hard-on.

And then Jared's eyes went wide when he saw Jensen going down on one knee in front of him, grabbing his hands on the way.

"Jared Padalecki," Jensen began, "do you want to take me as your mate, to share our lives and create new ones, to love and sustain each other from now on, till death do us part ?"

Jared was almost too shocked to realize that Jensen had forgone the part about being his alpha whom Jared should honor and obey. But his answer came forward easily.

"Yes, of course I want you. As my mate, my lover, my alpha, the father of my children, forever."

Still on his knees, Jensen immediately engulfed him in his arms, pushing his face into his stomach to inhale him deeply.

"I love you so much !" he repeated.

Jared let him have his moment, his hands playing with his mate's hair. Then Jensen stood back up to bring Jared inside the protective circle of his arms again, taking his lips for a long, devouring kiss. Jared felt his body melt against his alpha's, his earlier fright all gone now. He was so ready to give himself to his mate, even if he had never envisioned this moment prepared to tumble into a bed without any undressing needed.

"And you have to do this when I'm naked and… and… ?!"

He was so close to crying. He had waited and hoped and prayed for this proposal for so long. He was so in love with this man, and yet he had lost almost all hope of ever mating him.

But Jensen had just offered him everything, his love and the life he dreamed of, here on their island, to be happy and become a family.

//////////// 

They retreated to Jared's bed, needing to be close and to get off their feet. Jared moaned and gasped, chest heaving and body arching all along the path of the hands caressing his skin.

"Don't you mind… ?" Jared half-started a question but stopped, embarrassed.

Jensen's pointed look told him to go on.

"That I'm so tall ?"

Taller than you, he wanted to add, but the words stuck in his throat.

"Why would I care ? It only means that there's more of you to love."

And Jared fell in love with Jensen all over again.

Jensen's mouth went back to its original task, mapping Jared's calf with his lips before it moved to the enticing thigh right above, relishing the growing tremors coursing under Jared's skin as it was going higher and higher.

His cock was the next step. Holding it like a giant lollipop, he licked the crown with an appreciative moan, followed the slit with the tip of his tongue, and finally surged to swallow the head and push it as far as possible into his mouth. It hit the back of his palate but still Jensen pushed, his throat opening to take Jared in.

Jared had never felt that, nor seen such a wondrous sight as Jensen's lips wrapped around his cock, marching him straight into bliss territory. And Jensen drank it all, his fingers playing against that place inside Jared's ass that made him see stars.

"Take me," Jared mumbled, "I'm ready."

"No, not yet," Jensen responded in a raspy voice.

"No ?" Jared repeated incredulously, like a cry of distress.

Jensen couldn't do this to him, not again, the situation reminded Jared too much of their first time and he couldn't stand it.

"We'll come to it in good time," Jensen reassured him with a loving kiss to his hipbone. "You're my mate, Jared, in all but this for the time being. And I want us to be married, tied and bound, before you give yourself to me. I want us in perfect harmony. Equals."

The sound Jared emitted was half-sob, half-laugh. He had the most infuriating mate, and he was madly in love with him.

//////////// 

Jared opened his eyes to a blue sky and the most pleasant and joyous feeling. His body felt well used and he smiled, remembering how many times Jensen had him coming, and all the pleasure he had tried to give him back.

Jared frowned when he realized that his mate wasn't lying next to him anymore. His side of the bed was cool, Jensen had probably woken up long before him. As an alpha, he was used to all-night lovemaking, and wasn't that a stupid thought on the first day of your mated life. He didn't need to be jealous anymore, Jensen was his now.

And Jensen had left a note on his pillow to explain his disappearance.

_"Don't move ! Don't dress either, you're so beautiful like this, I almost couldn't tear myself apart from you, but I've got an important errand to run. I'll be back soon, keep the bed warm and scented for me. Love, Jensen."_

Jared wondered what could have been so important to attract Jensen away from him on such a day, but he was too happy to really care. It pleased him to obey his alpha and stay right where he was until his return.

He vaguely heard some noise at the front door sometime later, realizing he had fallen back asleep by the angle of the sunlight, and he stretched lazily, wearing nothing but a welcoming smile when the door of the bedroom opened.

The men who entered were nothing like his alpha, though, and Jared latched onto the sheet to cover himself.

"Who are you ?" he yelled, unable to master his fright. "What are you doing here ?"

The first answer was in fact obvious, thanks to the uniforms, but it only increased Jared's fear.

"My, my," the first soldier exclaimed with a nasty smile. "I'll be damned if it isn't the commandant's whore !"

Jared gasped at the insult. He had no idea what those words were about, just like he didn't know the tall black guy nor his smaller white comrade. Both looked at him with undisguised contempt, and something else that had Jared trembling even more.

"Come, whore. You, filthy thing, are going back to Tethreya, where you won't dishonor any other good man from the Islands."

The soldiers approached the bed from each side, blocking any attempt Jared might have made to escape. They snatched the sheet from Jared's hand, baring him entirely, before they each grasped one of his wrists.

"You can't take me !" Jared shouted, twisting and fighting against their pull. "I'm almost mated, I'm here to stay, I'm sure you can get the scent of my alpha on me. Please, don't do this, wait for my alpha and he will explain it all."

The grip on his arms didn't falter one bit, Jared still unable to cover himself.

"You smell of alpha alright, you naughty tramp !" the tallest soldier said with a lecherous grin.

He was the one who pushed Jared first against the wall, forcing him to half-sit on the little cabinet, but the second soldier joined him quickly to add his force to the attack. Then both men used their free hand to bring Jared's legs apart, keeping them spread open with their own bodies before they could begin to caress him, hands instinctively going to look for his hole after a quick detour by his cock and balls.

Jared fought hard and he screamed, calling Jensen for help as if the other man was already his alpha, proof once again that they were made for each other and that not only his body recognized that fact, but his mind too.

But Jensen didn't appear magically and Jared felt the hands and mouths of his rapists taking more and more possession of him.

//////////// 

"What's happening here ?!"

The captain's shout put an immediate end to the unpleasant scene. It also made it all the more difficult to resist.

Richings was happily mated and married. He loved his charming and young beta Lindsey, was attracted to her, and never intended to cheat. To this day, he had never been interested in any other beta or omega. Not enough, at the very least, to keep him silent while he was able to take in the sight of an aroused omega on full display – nipples and cock hard, hole shiny with slick, skin of his torso glistening with the saliva of his attackers, the same men that were forcing him open and vulnerable, offered to the eyes of Richings and his second in command. Four alphas whose pheromones were saturating the room in answer to the omega's scent. Four alphas ready to fight each other for the pleasure to take him first.

The captain's silence must have felt like a menace to the assaulting grunts. One of them, Brown, turned a worried face to him, full of fear of the reprimand he knew was coming. Yet his eyes still showed the wildness of his need and desire.

"This harlot told us to smell him, Captain. It's his fault entirely ! How are we supposed to resist the scent of an aroused omega ?! He practically asked us to take him."

His averted eyes showed at first that Brown was lying, thinking fast of any excuse to avoid a well-deserved punishment. But it was also clear that he believed the omega to be a debauched one who had no right in his book to make such a fuss about which alpha was using him. A naked and unmated omega, who had obviously been in close contact with another alpha in the previous hours given his slicked hole and soiled thighs, shouldn't be allowed to say no to another suitor.

"Is it true, Mr. Padalecki ?"

Richings' question seemed to awaken the young, frozen omega who began to fight anew, in vain of course, to free himself and hide his shame. Richings found that a previously unknown part of him was glad he couldn't.

"They're lying !" Jared Padalecki shouted when he realized he couldn't get free on his own. "They came in my bedroom and got me out of bed, and they refused to let me dress. I told them I was waiting for my alpha but they tried to rape me, and they only stopped because you came in. Please, by all that's holy, let me go ! Tell them to leave me alone ! I beg of you, take pity of me. I'm not a whore, I don't deserve this. This should be for my alpha only, I don't deserve to be watched by all of you like this."

His voice broke on the last sentence and Richings felt shame in his turn. The young man might be easy, but Richings didn't have to get down to his level. He was better than that.

"Let him stand up," he ordered his soldiers.

The men knew better than to discuss a direct order, but they obeyed with obvious reluctance and painful slowness. They still had their hands on the omega's biceps to prevent him from doing anything stupid like bolt and try to run away.

Standing up with a raging hard-on and his balls drawn up as if he was about to come, Padalecki was still a difficult sight to ignore. The omega's constant arousal proved that he had indeed been around his mate, but not that the deed was done. And his hole was releasing too much slick to be sure. Richings had to investigate a little further to get to the bottom of this affair.

"I need to smell you," he announced before he got behind the young man. The only way to be sure was to put his nose literally at the center of the problem.

Richings got down on his knees. His face at the omega's ass's height, he spread the cheeks with his hands, sensing the tension that suddenly surged through the other man's body, and leaned in to get the scent of his supposed alpha. Even unlikely, it was after all possible that the smell of the mating was still so new that it was covered by the one of the omega's arousal. Fairness obliged him to investigate even further.

It was intoxicating, divine, irresistible, and almost hurtful. Without thinking, Richings put his nose on the still virgin hole – he was sure of it now, the alpha hadn't knotted him yet – and inhaled intensely. Hard himself in a few seconds, he couldn't let go of the sweet globes his fingers were now stroking, nor the sweetest aroma he had ever smelled. He needed to taste it, and his lips seemed to have a mind of their own as they found the hole and kissed it, his tongue escaping his mouth to sample the full flavor, and then soon to try and open the canal leading to more of the same.

Padalecki was trembling under his hands, his hole slicking furiously as he was groaning, pushing his ass into Richings' face like he couldn't help it. He was true to his gender, weak-willed and slave to his biology, to his body prepared for a mating that hadn't taken place yet, ready to accept anyone at this point to be taken and conceive. He was the devil's temptation sent to Richings to test him.

But he would not fail. He detached himself from the alluring omega, his tongue lapping at the twitching hole for one last, long swipe that brought the taste in his mouth to stay for as long as possible. His hands were even more difficult to take off the enticing curves, leaving behind them red marks to show that they had kneaded the globes with the same passion Richings had used to thrust his tongue into the virgin ass.

He had almost failed, almost cheated on his loving beta. But he had mastered his desire in the end, proving that he was a better man than Padalecki. An alpha, strong and proud, who would not be brought down by his dick and the appealing scent of a young guy trying to entice any alpha crossing his path into putting his dick in him to pop out kids.

But not every alpha was made of the same stern stuff. Brown showed it with his hand still fondling the omega's balls despite the enraged cries of his victim, the insults that Richings hadn't heard before as he was too taken by the pheromones.

"Mr. Brown, if you don't stop acting like a ruffian, I'll have to get your hands cut as soon as we're back to Port Ismia." 

The grunt was smart enough in the end to hear the real threat in his captain's unraised voice. He took his hand immediately off Padalecki's balls. As he came in front of the omega, Richings saw Massee releasing, not that stealthily, the still hard cock. A pointed stare conveyed the same warning to him. Then the captain turned towards the omega again. The man couldn't look him in the eyes, breathing hard, and Richings felt the sudden and incomprehensible urge to kiss his lips to taste him there too.

But the man was a liar and he wouldn't fall prey to his beauty and wiles.

"So tell me, Mr. Padalecki, why should I trust you ? You do smell of an alpha, but certainly not _yours_. You do not smell like a mated omega either, and you know it. So is this another one of your 'misunderstandings' ?"

Watching the blush spreading on the omega's face and upper body, Richings remembered all too well how he had seen him leave his commandant's rooms already naked, trailing in the same state through the rooms as he was searching for his discarded clothes that were finally found at the other end of the huge house, proof that the man had followed and pursued Morgan in this shameful state room after room. It was also evident then that, after failing to get knotted by the commandant, the omega had been flaunting his assets to the first alpha he had met, who happened to be Richings. Aphrodisiac drugs didn't change your nature, they only enhanced it. Acting like a bitch in heat was just a step above regular omega disposition.

And now it seemed to him that once again the Padalecki boy had failed to get himself mated to his chosen alpha, a man reputed for being one of the richest in the Islands. This new rejection explained why he had tried to lure one of his soldiers into taking him once and for all, to avoid deportation. He had almost succeeded. Screaming for help was nothing but a way to rile them up, to get their blood running, to push the men to compete to be the first one to take the prize. Those grunts were useful but not very bright. Richings wondered how they hadn't been mated yet by another wily and untrustworthy omega. Probably because they were not worth it, unless you were desperate like Padalecki.

The case was clear : the easy Padalecki didn't want to go back home. The sweet and liberal life of the Islands suited him far better than the way the omegas were kept on a tight leash on the mainland, and he was ready to do anything to avoid being sent back.

Well, too bad for him. Richings had a job to do, and he didn't have time for any more of this ridiculous comedy. Padalecki had signed for six months, he had failed to find a husband, and now the King's money would be better used for another omega who would indeed contribute to expand the colony, not distract good alphas from doing their duty.

"Jared Padalecki," he declared, "on behalf of the Island's commanding officer, I'm here today to take you back home. The ship will leave in a week from Port Ismia, where the King's grace will accompany you until you're safely settled back in your orphanage, released to the care of the order that raised you."

"No, you can't do this !" Padalecki raged, trying once again futilely to escape the grip on his arms. "I still have a week, you said it, and I'm about to be mated to Jensen Ackles. He asked me, and I said yes. We're going to be married in the next few days. You can't do this !"

"If this is true, where is he ?"

"He had something to do. Go in my bedroom, you'll find the note he left me this morning. Please, Captain, you'll see I'm not lying."

Richings considered him for a few seconds before moving to the bedroom. The place was nicer than a simple worker's room should have been, but still it was not the bedroom of a plantation's omega-master-to-be, not one to be soon mated to a very rich man. It was entirely possible that Ackles, a good man by all account, if a tad weird, had joined Padalecki last night in a drunken moment and then failed to perform, which would explain why the omega was still unmated.

He found the note on the table next to the bed. The words seemed loving enough but it was still no proof. Ackles might have run as far and fast as possible when he woke up in the bed of his employee, taking the time to regroup and think of the best way to get himself out of a bad situation.

"Take him to the wagon," he ordered his men after returning to the other room, dismissing Padalecki's continuous pleas.

Still, he wondered how Ackles had been able to resist as he watched, mesmerized, the sweet and very naked ass of the struggling omega led away by his men. Wondered how his commandant had resisted. There was something going on here. Alcohol and drugs were definitely involved, or the boy would have been ravished already a long time ago.

Richings almost left then, but something in Jared Padalecki's story felt true enough that he decided to leave a note for the alpha this time, to explain the omega's absence upon his return. Also, it was nothing but simple courtesy between alphas. Richings would see if there was any way to find him another cheap and hardworking helper to replace his omega employee.

_Alpha Ackles,_

_On behalf of alpha Jeffrey Dean Morgan, commanding officer of the Islands' province, I'm here today to take back home the omega Padalecki, who has come to the end of his King's grace._

_The omega said he was to be mated and married to you before the end of the week. If this is true, you'll find him at the ship leaving for the mainland on the 8th by the ninth hour. If it's not, be sure that he won't be any more bother to you. My second in command is gathering Padalecki's things as I write, but you can of course recoup or add anything until the ship's departure._

_Respectfully._

_Alpha Julian Richings,_  
Captain of the Guards  


Richings displayed the note in full view for Ackles to find easily, then he left, ready to head for the next island. 

As he was going through the pleasant garden to join his soldiers back at the pontoon, he thought that maybe his reaction to the omega could be explained by the long separation from his beta. He missed her so much. Maybe it was time to have her and the children come to the Islands, as it seemed the regiment was here to stay. Maybe it was time to have another child and buy an island, to settle and fight off any risk of straying.

Yes, Richings concluded. It was more than time if he was beginning to feel attracted to tall and definitely masculine omegas that were usually so not his type. He would write to Lindsey as soon as they were back to the city and send her the money for the family's trip. He was pretty sure the commandant would lend him the cash if it meant that his second had decided to stay here indefinitely – there was a reason why Morgan had refused to give him the promotion he deserved, the officer very conscious of his second's real value and wanting him to stay close by. And then Richings would need only to resist his more basic instincts for about five months before his beta would be there to take care of him ; by then, the Padalecki boy would be gone and the situation would be more easily dealt with.

But first they had to travel through the remaining islands to gather the other departing omegas. Hoping that none of them induced the same attraction in him and his soldiers.

It was bound to be a long week.

//////////// 

Dawn was breaking when Jensen sat in his slickest dinghy. It hurt to leave Jared, even for a few hours, but he couldn't wait anymore to marry him, couldn't risk it. He would let nothing or no one prevent him from marrying his mate. He had to go back to Visnia and hope that Radraniakian had completed his work. With such a narrow-minded padre as Lehne officiating in Ismia, he would need the bracelets for the wedding to be accepted.

Six hours later, he was back to a silent house. He doubted Jared had stayed in bed so long but after all the swimming yesterday and the sex stunts Jensen had put him through during the night, maybe his omega had needed the extra hours of sleep. Jensen didn't mind slipping in right back next to him.

But Jared's bedroom was as empty as the rest of the farmhouse, save for a letter he had to read twice to begin to understand.

His first impulse was to run after his mate and that's what he did.

He was untying the rope holding back the first dinghy he had come to when he realized he had to be smarter than that. There was no way to know where the guards had gone first and, in this maze of islands, chances were high that he would never find them in time.

He could either act like a man stupidly in love, or he could tap into that well of reasonable, insensitive alpha qualities his father had tried so hard all his life to instill into him.

It was not even a choice, really. Jensen knew what he had to do, wherever his heart was trying to lead his body.

Decision made, he came back to the house to grab a travel bag. He put clothes inside – his as well as Jared's, Richings' man had taken next to nothing – and a huge roll of cash. Whether he had to bribe a few people, or pay for his trip back to the mainland to follow his mate, Jensen was ready.

//////////// 

Jared had never been so ashamed of himself since the first time the persistent proximity of an alpha – a young boy, having just popped his knot, who followed him around all the time – had made him slick up, the scent so peculiar and new he hadn't understood what was happening to him. The other omegas, though, had gleefully, cruelly let him know. Called him a slut and a whore. Only Padre Jim had been able to explain in a rational manner, making him feel better about this unfortunate biology he had to live with.

He hadn't realized then that the fact that the omegas knew about this meant that they had gone through it too, subjected to the same biology. He had only seen the fact that his body had answered a mating call from someone that was not made for him. And it took him months to understand that he was no more a whore than they were.

But here in this floating prison cell, sitting naked among other omegas who kept separated from him to try and stop their own biological reaction, he felt like the lowest form of life to ever walk this planet's ground. No wonder Jensen hadn't wanted him. It was probably pity that had changed his mind about the mating. Or the pheromones Jared had produced at the cascade. Jared couldn't help fearing that the alpha would be too happy to be freed to search for him. He didn't even know where to look for him anyway. Jensen was so often lost in his painting, he had probably forgotten everything about the end of Jared's King's grace.

No, better to be realistic and prepare for his return to the mainland. He had had a few months in paradise, and a few hours of love. Maybe that was all he would ever get but he would cherish the memories forever. He had been a coward to sign for six months instead of the one year he had been first offered, and as he was now paying for it, he could only blame himself and accept his fate.

//////////// 

Being without Jared felt like suddenly cutting on an addiction – or so Jensen supposed. He had never been one to succumb to any addiction, alcohol or omegas, his father had made sure of that, and Jensen was too respectful of his obligations as heir to the clan to give in to that kind of danger. But his mate had been a regular feature in his life for the last six months, and a constant one for about half of that time. The abrupt, unexpected separation was tearing him apart and heightened his need to fight. He felt aggressive, ready to bite or hit anyone talking to him in the wrong way.

He couldn't stop rethinking his decision of coming to Ismia directly without trying to find Jared in the islands. This gave the soldiers ample time to rape him again and again, and Jensen kept on imagining his beautiful mate martyrized by libidinous alphas who thought they had no one to fear for the desecration of this virgin body.

They were very wrong, for whatever might happen to Jared, Jensen would still want him in the end, and his wrath would be legendary.

//////////// 

"You don't know who I am, do you ?" the soldier demanded.

They had stopped for the night, Jared and the five other omegas taken out of their cell to eat and wash. Unluckily, Brown had been assigned to guard him during his hasty ablutions. They were still too far from the campsite for Jared to get help in time if need be and his fear was close to overwhelming.

"I have no idea," he stammered, "you're mistaking me for someone else."

"Oh no, you slut. There's no mistaking that big dick of yours, or that sweet hole you're displaying for anyone who wants to see it."

Brown translated words into action, pushing two fingers between Jared's crack to rub at his hole. Jared could try to fight all he wanted, his bound hands and ankles did not allow him any leverage.

"Still no clue ?" Brown went on. "In your defense, I guess it must be hard for you to remember who touched you, I heard you're so liberal about it. And you couldn't even see the face of those who licked you, right ? So let me help ! Once upon a time, there were two soldiers on guard duty, a chore they hadn't really deserved but one they stopped complaining about when the filthiest omega this alpha has ever seen gave them a pornographic show : he stripped naked for their commandant, played with him, earned himself not one, but two spankings. Not to mention the ass-licking and the finger-fucking."

Brown's fingers penetrated him slowly at the same time, the better to make him feel powerless to escape.

"Yeah, I see you remember now. So all your simpering airs are lost on me or Massee. We know who you are, bitch, and I'm pretty sure the captain's got your number, too."

Disjointed memories had indeed flooded Jared's mind along with the wicked tale. It couldn't be ! He knew something bad had probably happened that night, given his state upon wakening, but he couldn’t imagine letting it go that far, displaying himself for three alphas. And yet, he remembered smiling, wanting to play, to have fun.

No, he was not going to let that man destroy his memories as well as his future. He had been under the influence of the virgin's poppy.

"You're wrong, I didn't want any of that, I was drugged."

"Sure, and you were also drugged that other time, in the commandant's office, when you let him play with your ass on his desk. Again."

Jared blinked, stupefied. That moment only rated a few memories too, all unpleasant, and if Jared did remember Captain Richings, the man next to him was nothing but a blur. Until now, it seemed.

"Exactly," he tried, convinced that Brown would never believe him but unwilling to give up. "There's this flower, the virgin's poppy, it's an aphrodisiac for the virgin omegas. I wasn't really conscious, I swear. I never wanted anyone else than my alpha to see me, even less to touch me. Please, even if you think I'm lying, let me go and find me some clothes. I don't deserve to be treated like this."

"You deserve it, and a lot more. You're filthy and weak, and you try to poison the alphas who fall for your sorcerer's tricks. I hope they put you in jail back in Tethreya, living on dry bread and dirty water, and paying for it with that body you keep flaunting around. You disgust me."

Jared fell hard on the rocky ground when Brown threw him down.

//////////// 

Jensen went straight to the garrison. If this was all a plan concocted by Morgan to steal his omega, Jensen was going to cut off the officer's dick and then suffocate him with it. You didn't rob an omega from his true alpha mate with impunity, even when you thought yourself above everyone else because of your clan and your social status.

Haughtily, he ordered the guard to take him to the commandant right away and the woman was impressed enough to obey.

From his desk, Morgan watched Jensen invade his space with a curious lift of his right eyebrow.

"When are the deported omegas due for leaving ? And where are they ?"

"I fail to see… Jared ?"

"Yes, Jared, who your soldiers kidnapped from my island, despite the warning signs, as soon as I was away. Jared, the man I am betrothed to, the man who had my word that we would be married and mated before long. I swear, Morgan, if I ever find that you had any part in this skullduggery…"

Jensen lost his last measure of calm and restraint and his fists punched the heavy desk hard.

"Alpha Ackles," the commandant ordered, standing up, "calm yourself and make your story clear. I can't make heads or tails of your verbiage."

Jensen took a deep breath, pushing the so-satisfying images of his fist breaking Morgan's nose back where they belonged. He needed to focus on Jared and the best way to get him back as soon as possible.

"You want clarity ? So maybe you can explain why your soldiers came to extract my mate seven entire days before the end of his King's grace ? I'm all ears."

The challenge in their stare was almost palpable, but Morgan was visibly trying as hard as Jensen to avoid a conflagration.

"This is standard procedure. You know as well as I that we cannot count on the omegas to show themselves at the harbor on their last day. The army has to retrieve them. Extraction takes time in the Islands so, yes, we begin seven days before the ship's departure. I swear I wasn't aware that Jared's grace was ending so soon, but in the absence of the Intendant's derogation, my hands are tied. Jared has to go."

"Bullshit ! You knew, and I won't accept this answer. I asked him to mate me and he agreed. His grace isn't over until he's on the ship, sailing back towards Tethreya, and I want you to write an order for your troop to release him at once when they're back in Ismia."

"I will do nothing of the sort. Not until I've seen Jared and know of his real desire, anyway. I am not at your beck and call, alpha, and you'd do well to remember it. I am the Islands' military commandant, not some omega valet you can intimidate."

"And I am the richest man in the Islands. I can cut the money flow at any moment and cause the biggest crash the economy of the region has ever seen, one it will never be able to survive. I can block your soldiers' pay. I am self-sufficient on my island, can you say the same in your garrison ?"

"You're all big talk, Ackles, but I know you. You care too much for the people of the Islands to take them down in your fall."

"You think you know me ? Don't push me, Commandant. You have no idea what I could do to save Jared from alphas like you."

They both felt their alpha energy crackle in the air around them, snapping at each other like two bulls butting heads. Jensen wouldn't admit to all the ways he could take the fight to Morgan, the militia he had constituted and trained in secret that only needed a word from him to defend his island and attack strategic positions to cut the enemy's possible moves. Whatever Morgan thought he knew about him, Jensen was pretty sure he had no real clue who Jensen could turn himself into in times of need.

He retreated a bit, not ready to lose all chance to get Morgan's help. The commandant was so crazy about Jared that Jensen still hoped he would use his power to influence the unfair rule.

Still, it was not in his personality to back down and he would be damned before he showed weakness to this particular man.

"I'll be back, Commandant. You'd better have my letter ready by that time."

Morgan's eyes narrowed to reveal his annoyance. Jensen smiled, haughty again, and left.

//////////// 

Massee was his personal guard tonight. Although his stature wasn't as impressive as Brown's, his eyes were filled with a devout craziness that made him somewhat scarier.

All he could talk about was the punishment temptresses like Jared deserved, a flow of sanctimonious judgments belittling Jared and his brethren, male omegas who pretended they could act like alphas because of their height and stature, who forgot to be respectful and modest the way the gods had created them. Omegas who talked back and lived for themselves.

Abominations.

Jared had been lulled into a false sense of security these past months, living with a progressive alpha and his like-minded friends. He had almost forgotten that everywhere around him old-school alphas refused to let the omegas emancipate and exercise their free will. Massee would never shake his hand like an equal. He was the kind to reach for an omega to use their bodies or to hit them. Omegas were slaves to him, no more than utilities.

Granted, he was far from being the only one. No need to search for long, Richings felt exactly the same. But Massee had a mean streak that appeared every time he could get away with it. He enjoyed seeing Jared constantly naked and bound, humiliated and powerless. It was the ultimate proof that he was right and that no one could stop him. He kept on slapping Jared – face, ass cheeks, wherever – and taunting him by touching his most intimate parts in front of his fellow soldiers and the other omegas, to illustrate Jared's inability to strike back. Massee's detail laughed at his antics while the captain ignored them. The other omegas sent Jared sympathetic looks but were careful not to take sides to avoid directing attention on them.

Being alone with Massee meant more slapping around, more sermons, more intolerable touching. Jared was not freed of his chains during his toilette, his shackles merely loosened to grant him a margin of movement. He tumbled when Massee pushed him forward, both hands and knees cushioning his graceless fall.

"Assume the position, omega," Massee ordered, "do it now, and do it well, and your punishment will be swiftly dealt. Make your penance easier by accepting it. Ask the gods for their pardon, maybe they will be merciful."

"Go to the ninth hell !" Jared spat as he stood back up.

The hell where abusive alphas lost their heads and dicks to the omega tribunal.

"You filthy omega," Massee retorted, his face twisted in anger. "You think you can talk to me like that and get away with it ?"

"I don't care. The gods be my witness, I'm done fearing you, you vile and stupid ignoramus."

Massee slapped him across the face so violently that Jared fell back on the ground, breath knocked out of his lungs when two vicious kicks caught his abdomen. Jared curled on himself to protect his ribs but by then Massee had launched his next attack on Jared's back, unbuttoning his breeches to get his cock out.

"Help !" Jared bellowed, all too aware that neither Jensen nor any other compassionate alpha were close enough to hear him.

And then Richings saved him again.

"Private Massee ! I told you what would happen if I ever found you again in a compromising position with this omega. You have two seconds to let him go, else I will enforce my warning."

Massee did care for his hands. His obedience to the order was swift and wordless.

"Thanks, Captain," Jared said, collapsing on a tree trunk.

"Don't thank me, omega. I'm trying to save this alpha's soul, not the dregs of your worthless virginity."

//////////// 

Fuelled by the idea to get an audience with Sheppard, Jensen headed to the palace, pretty much in the same fashion he had walked into the commandant's office. But his plan fell flat on its face due to the Intendant's absence. Real or pretend, Jensen never managed to find out, although he sent five of his best guys to track him down.

Sheppard's first assistant accepted the marriage contract Jensen had prepared and signed, but rejected any monetary offer to buy Jared's grace, pretending he didn't have the authority to make such decisions. Jensen argued that the intendant certainly preferred to avoid an incident and get his just reward for service rendered to the community.

"Surely even you can see that should your master disagree, he will still be able to send my omega back to Tethreya on the next ship, whereas once Jared is gone, my money follows him."

The assistant was torn but nothing could sway him. This, more than anything else, convinced Jensen that Sheppard was hiding in the palace or the near vicinity, invisible puppeteer pulling the strings of the marionette Jensen was talking to. Sheppard probably knew about his altercation with Morgan. He had anticipated his visit and disappeared to elude a direct confrontation with a man on a warpath and too much power.

Jensen had long been acquainted with that feeling of helplessness. You didn't live under Matlin Ackles' thumb without learning to deal with domestic absolutism. He hadn't left his home to let it rule his life once again, nor would he let despair and grief break him down. Jared counted on him.

If the mostly legal ways didn't pan out, Jensen had only one choice left : kidnapping his omega. This would make for a wonderful and romantic story to tell their kids in a few years.

Decision made, he rented a room in the closest inn to the harbor and posted alphas at the port to warn him of the ends of grace's return to Ismia.

//////////// 

Richings ordered that Jared always be guarded by two soldiers instead of one, so that each man would be watched by the other. Which was maybe a good idea on paper, but the worst one in practice when the two alphas were Brown and Massee.

Double the pleasure, double the fun. For his torturers, of course.

On the first night, the men pushed him face first against a tree and touched him for as long as they thought they could get away with before Richings would question their whereabouts.

On the next night, they threw him in the river, still bound, and jumped right behind him. Jared really thought he was going to drown until they had him resurface by impaling two fingers each in his ass and pushing up.

On the third night, they used his dick and balls to get him out of the water, but their hold kept on slipping while Jared kept on sinking again.

Each night brought novelty to Jared's knowledge of the blackness of the human heart. These men had no soul left to save. They would one day burn and rot in the ninth hell, and all of the other ones before.

Jared kept telling himself that he had to stay strong, to weather everything, that Jensen would be at the end of this hell on Earth, his recompense for being brave and staying true to himself. He ignored the taunts and the tortures, the cruel jibes and the humiliation. He let his mind go blank and reach a near-comatose state where nothing could touch him.

He had a new mantra : _nothing's real here but the love of my alpha_.

//////////// 

Eleven omegas were to be deported by the time they reached Ismia. Richings' mood had turned sour with the two lucky ends of grace who had managed to disappear before the soldiers had taken hold of them. It seemed someone, or several someones, had been travelling through the islands to warn about the army's mission. Too bad Jared's name was at the top of the list and Jensen's island the closest to Ismia or he could have been mated – or Jensen present to defend him at the very least – by the time they had disembarked on Tellia's pontoon despite the interdiction.

Jared was spared the ignominy to walk through the whole city naked. The guys at the port all knew him, and Richings and his soldiers were booed and taken to task when they saw Jared led naked and bruised to the wagon.

"The omega's attitude obliged us to put down his rebellious mind with the help of radical means," Richings explained, self-righteous as ever.

This was a mistake. The result was an explosion of anger, and then the convoy had no choice but to leave in a hurry to avoid more troubles. Jared's heart took this as a good sign. He had friends here. His eyes searched for Jensen all along the way, hope diminishing only as they arrived at the harbor, back to the point where everything had begun.

The ship was the same, Jared remarked with distress as he recognized the New Islands.

Even the captain was the same. Limping, rude, and half-drunk, One-Leg made his way through the other omegas gathered in front of the ship, observing and touching them like cattle, taking his sweet time to get to Jared.

It couldn't be. He knew he wouldn't escape a two-month crossing unharmed a second time at the mercy of Captain Pellegrino.

And for once, One-Leg and Jared totally shared the same analysis of the situation.

"Hello again, pretty boy," Pellegrino greeted him in a smug tone. "I was hoping to see you, you know. And here you are, all prepared to play with me and my crew the way I often dreamed."

The captain raised a finger to trail it across Jared's torso, rubbing one nipple then the other before it went down. The other ends of grace protested. Maybe they had already suffered because of Pellegrino, like Jared, or maybe not, but they probably wanted to try and prove right now that unity was strength, terrorized that the same fate would befall them.

"Fate's being kind to me, it seems," Pellegrino continued with the same aplomb. "We're going to have such a fun trip ! And who knows ? If you prove as good as I imagine you will be, maybe I'll just keep you to distract us for many more crossings."

One-Leg didn't leave any room for interpretation of his threat when his hands applied themselves to Jared's body. The other omegas protested even more, attempting to dislodge the captain and make a wall of their own bodies between the alpha and Jared, but his crewmen as well as the soldiers pushed them away, leaving Jared with no protection against the more and more intrusive, repulsive touch of Pellegrino. One of his hands took hold of his half-erect cock and heavy balls, fondling them with obvious delight, while the other reached directly behind him, fingers stroking his right ass cheek before they slid into his crack to reach his hole.

The wrist and ankle cuffs and chains forbid Jared from running away but he wasn't about to give up and spread his legs. He had no way to prevent what was going to happen to him once on the ship, not any more than the humiliation One-Leg was forcing on him right now on purpose, but he would fight the captain all along, to be worthy of his mate's love and trust.

And then Jared and Pellegrino heard at the same moment the very unmistakable click of a pistol being cocked.

Said pistol was pushed right against Jared's assailant's temple. Jensen was holding it, and he looked murderous.

//////////// 

He had spent all his days at the harbor, waiting and praying for Jared's welfare. Time seemed to have slowed down to an unendurable crawl, save for the few hours of sleep he allowed himself to take. None of his men had come with good news, neither the ones scouting the Islands, nor the others at the port or tracking Sheppard. He felt useless, but yet hope never abandoned him, for Jared was his mate and they were made for each other. It was poetic justice that he had to suffer here at the harbor a tiny measure of what Jared had supported all along since they had met in this very place, and he wouldn't dishonor his mate by breaking under the weight of his pain.

All of it was forgotten as soon as he saw Jared. All of it but the rage on behalf of the gentle man treated like a criminal, worse, an animal with as few rights as a chowli facing the rifle of a soldier.

They would pay. All of them : the instigators as well as the executors, the high-ups and the grunts. They would pay and regret the day they had laid a finger on Jared Padalecki. Even the gods wouldn't stand a chance to stop Jensen if it was revealed that Jared had been raped.

Jensen moved in with the ease and silence learned on the shady streets of Tethreya. No one saw him coming, neither the lamenting omegas, nor the soon-to-be dead or prosecuted soldiers. Even the ship's crew members ignored him, too busy encouraging their captain to show the omega his place at the end of his dick.

Thankfully, Jared didn't recognize his scent ; he was far too terrified, and thus failed to alert the vile alpha about his presence. Jensen raised his pistol and aimed.

"Back off and let him go."

Some kind of commotion happened around them, the soldiers raising their rifles and aiming too, Jared's eyes wide with worry for them both, the omegas frightened but determined to shield them, but nothing distracted Jensen from his target.

"My, my," Pellegrino mocked Jared, unconcerned by the threat to his life, "it seems you've found yourself a knight in shining armor. Is it those beautiful sad eyes, or maybe that big cock of yours ?"

Pellegrino kept on fondling Jared's sac, ignoring the threat of the pistol against his skull.

"But your knight didn't mate you. What happened ? Did he despise the idea of you never being more than secondhand material ?"

Pellegrino's eyes took in Jared's whole naked body once again with the most lecherous grin Jensen had ever seen.

"I was the first one to see you naked, right, pretty boy ?"

Jared's full blush and obvious unease told Jensen everything he needed to know. Pellegrino was a fool and a pervert, but he was speaking the truth here, trying to get a rise out of Jensen so that the soldiers would have an excuse to arrest him and leave the opportunity for the captain to take away his mate.

It was clear he didn't know his opponent if he thought it would be so easy. Jensen was indeed angry on Jared's behalf, for all the harm that had obviously been done to him already on the outward journey, but there would be time to ask and console later, when Jared was safely back on their island after their marriage. Jensen would do anything he had to do to ensure that Jared was his, and that no one would ever take his mate away from him again. 

He wasn't above killing a man if he had to.

"This is your last warning before I fire. Back. Off."

"Alpha," the cultured and poised voice of the captain of the guards urged him, "you don't want to do this."

"That's where you're mistaken, Richings. I do want to do this, to this scum as well as any one of you I can smell on my mate. But I will let you go alive if you free Jared, now."

"You know we can't do it, we're nothing but servants of the law here."

"You're nothing but liars and kidnappers, as well as trespassers and rapists. Alphas without honor and faith. The world would be better for your death, but I'm judge and jury here so I'll allow you all to live to tell the tale another day in compensation for giving me my mate back. This is more than generous from me when you should all be hanging by the neck on death row, but you're not worth the time and energy it would take to get there. So really, our last option here is to give me my mate back and let me take him home."

"You know I have no power to do this," Richings insisted. "Only Commandant Morgan could make such a decision."

"Well then fetch him right away, before my finger cramps on the trigger and I kill this sorry excuse for a human being by accident."

"That won't be necessary," Morgan's voice rose then from a short distance away.

A path opened in the crowd gathered around the dispute to let the commandant and his two-alpha escort approach the scene on their horses.

"Ackles," he ordered, "put down your gun, there's only civilized people here."

"Not even counting this monster I want dead, I think you've been misled about many of your soldiers, Commandant."

"You have my personal word nothing will be done against you or omega Padalecki during our talks. Is that enough ?"

Jensen wavered and considered, and then decided to take a chance on the commandant, if only to get closer to Jared and lend him his force.

"Very well, as long as we talk. But they do it first."

Morgan nodded to his men who put down their rifles. Only then did Jensen uncock his own pistol and slide it in his breeches by his waist, easily accessible. Before anything else, he searched for a shirt in his back bag and tied it around Jared's waist to hide his body as much as possible around the chains. His mate was battered and trembling – from exhaustion or fear, there was no telling – and he hardly dared look Jensen in the eyes, but he sagged against him when Jensen put the arm not ready to draw his pistol around his body.

"Enjoy this last chance to fondle your omega, alpha," One-Leg taunted them. "He will soon be mine, body and mind."

"Pellegrino !" the commandant condemned before Jensen could retort. "Stop trying to make things worse and don't push your luck."

"Whatever you two _civilized men_ want to discuss, the law in on my side. I delivered that omega six months ago, he is now to be returned, and I am paid for it. I'm not working at a loss. You want to keep the omega, you pay for him."

"Do you really think this is going to stop me ?" Jensen snorted. "Name your price."

"For such a lovely boy, surely a prince like you would go as far as 500 piasters."

"Commandant," Jensen asked, eyes still boring into Pellegrino's, "do I have your official promise that Jared will be authorized to stay in the Islands as my mate if I pay this thief ?"

Morgan sighed. Jensen was pretty sure it was all comedy to deceive their audience. Morgan had never wanted Jared to leave, but he couldn't give the appearance of caving or being too eager to jostle the law for a reason that had beautiful eyes and legs that wouldn't quit.

"Very well. This is a special case, seeing you were about to mate, so I know the Intendant will back me up. Omega Padalecki is granted permission to stay and mate you, provided you can come to an agreement with the ship's captain."

"Then the deal is done. Unchain Jared."

Once more, Morgan nodded to Richings to get him to move and free the omega while Jensen searched his bag again, giving the impression he had to rake the bottom to gather such a big sum of money. He didn't want to risk an attack later in the day when he had so much better things to do. Take care of his despondent omega, for example.

He thrust the bills into Pellegrino's hands, keeping one eye on the man to avoid any low blow as he counted the money again, while making sure Jared was unchained properly and completely. The angry red skin of his wrists and ankles bore witness to the fact that he had been restrained all along. Jensen covered them with a fine cloth after he had helped Jared to dress his body completely with breeches and shirt.

"Are we done here, alpha Ackles ?" Morgan lost patience.

Those simple words only served to fuel Jensen's anger again.

"No, we're not, Commandant. The last time you came to my island, I told you in the clearest way that the regiment wasn't welcome on my land. On your advice, I had the official 'No trespassing by strangers, including the army' sign apposed everywhere a boat could come ashore. And yet, your troop chose to ignore that warning. Worse, they chose to ignore my omega's word that we were to be mated. He should have been safe in our house but they assaulted him, and they deported him. They humiliated him for a whole week, keeping him naked and at the mercy of anyone's touch – they can't deny it, their scent is all over him. You had to intervene personally so that he would be given back to me and not treated like a prisoner anymore. So no, we're not done here, Commandant, not by a long shot."

Jensen turned his hateful gaze towards the guards who had taken Jared, Richings included.

"I want those men to apologize formally to my mate, publicly, and I want them treated like he was, naked and vulnerable for a whole week in a prison, so that they can get a taste of their own medicine, and then I want you to send them back to the mainland without wage, thrown out of the army they're dishonoring. Then maybe we'll be done, Commandant, but only if my mate is in agreement with all this and doesn't ask for their dicks to be cut off."

The men tried to appeal to the commandant but Jensen's wrath was enough to shut them up when he made a move in their direction with murder in his eyes. Only Jared's hand on his arm got him to calm down. Jensen didn't recognize himself anymore. He wanted those guys to suffer and die for all the harm that had come to the man he loved. More than ever, he hated that he was supposed to be like them, fearing that he could one day treat Jared in the same way.

Morgan stared at Jensen in obvious turmoil over who to listen to.

"Alright," he finally stated, turning to one of the officers of his escort. "Lieutenant, disarm Captain Richings and his men and take them to the brig. Then summon the tribunal for tomorrow morning."

"Commandant !" several voices shouted at the same time.

"We're alphas," Brown added, "and he's nothing but an omega, no way we should be held accountable for what happened to this whore. He asked for it !"

"You're not even worthy to walk the same ground as him, you vermin," Jensen responded, ready to jump the guy and hit him.

"You'll show both alpha Ackles and omega Padalecki the respect they deserve, is that clear ?" Morgan intervened.

"Commandant, the way we see it, we just put that worthless omega back in his place, everybody knows he's been mocking you for months."

Jensen had been too willing to forget that Jared could have given himself to the officer to think about this aspect of the problem, the possibility that Morgan's soldiers knew of their aborted relationship and Jared's refusal, that they had felt the need to somehow avenge their leader's pride, as if their own had taken a toll in the debacle. It was clear on Jared's face that he had never thought about that either and that he was doing his best to feel guilty here again, for leading Morgan on, however unwillingly.

"He did nothing of the sort !" the commandant defended both Jared and his own alpha pride. "He chose his true alpha and you had no right to interfere with that most sacred bond, not even for me. Alpha Ackles is right, you all need to apologize to omega Padalecki. Now."

One by one, Richings, Brown and Massee came in front of an unsteady Jared to present the most formal and fake apologies. The omega still hadn't uttered a word since Jensen had found him, but then the commandant asked him what he could do to repair the harm done.

"Free all the omegas," Jared answered in a heartbeat. "None of them deserve that treatment either. You don't know what will happen to them on that ship if they keep them chained all the time."

"Sweetheart, I don't think I can…"

"Never mind," Jensen cut in, "I'll pay for them too."

"You won't have to," Morgan decided, and it was clear to Jensen that the man wanted Jared to admire him even though they were not meant to be. "If you think that the omegas are in danger of being mistreated on the ship, it's my duty to prevent such scandal. Therefore, I will proceed immediately to the transfer of their responsibility back to the army's care."

"No way I'm letting you take away all my income, Morgan," Pellegrino intruded, furious. "Padalecki or these omegas, it's one and the same, they belong to me as soon as they're here."

"Mr. Pellegrino," the commandant responded regally, "either you accept this situation and get back to Tethreya right now, or my soldiers can go and take a look at your cargo deck, where you store all the contraband I know you're smuggling with each return trip."

What Morgan didn't mention aloud, but that everyone with a bit of knowledge of how things worked here knew, was that once again the Intendant was totally tied to the smuggling. It was dubious to Jensen that Morgan would dare going so directly against Sheppard, but Pellegrino didn't know it, and Morgan's bluff helped with mollifying him, along with another, very surprising proposition.

"We can also broker another deal," Morgan continued.." Since we have here three former soldiers who don't have a place in these Islands anymore, I offer you to take them back to the mainland, where they will be prosecuted per alpha Ackles' accusations. You can take them with you and use them any way you see fit during the trip, and I'll give you a letter for the Grand Command in Tethreya so that you'll get paid for their transportation. Do we have a deal, Captain ?"

"Shake on it, Commandant."

In the agitation induced by the unchaining of the other omegas and the demotion and subsequent arrest of the three soldiers, Jensen led Jared gently away. He thought he had seen a particular ornate carriage leaving the harbor, one belonging to Sheppard, but forgot all about it when Jared asked if they were going back to Tellia.

"First, we get married," Jensen answered.

//////////// 

Jared sat heavily on his casket. They had come to the palace to retrieve the omega wedding costume and now the view of the outfit symbolizing the purity of the omega offering their body to their mate had his feelings of guilt flaring up again.

"Jensen, you know I hated those soldiers, but they were right, I'm dirty, and you have to know everything before you make any decision. I told you some of the misadventures that happened to me, but not everything, not in detail. Even before I met you, there was Captain Pellegrino, he managed to get me naked one night, but he didn't touch me, I swear. And there was the commandant, and Chad, you know about them, but I didn't really tell you about alpha Nemec, or Julia, and then the soldiers while I was deported…"

He wanted Jensen to know everything about him. If Jensen decided to leave him afterwards, so be it. Better now than in front of the padre joining them. Jared was so afraid of losing Jensen that he forced his way into all those bad memories, unconscious of Jensen trying to stop him. Not until he felt hands cupping his face, lips blocking his words, and he turned his eyes to his alpha to drown in the love directed at him.

"Jared, Jared, slow down, I don't care, I love you, and I know none of this happened because you wanted it. If you need to tell me, to get everything off your chest, I promise I'll listen to you for however long you need. But right now, all I need to know is if you love me and want to marry me."

"Of course, that's all I ever wanted."

"Then let's get ready to go to the temple. Nothing else matters."

//////////// 

"You're not mated already ?" the always judging Padre Lehne asked in surprise at Jared's confusing scent after Jensen told him he wanted to get married right now.

Jared had washed thoroughly before he came here, but he reckoned that it would take making love with Jensen for the disgusting smell to disappear completely.

"Not yet, Padre," Jensen answered easily. "I want Jared to know that everything I own is his too before he offers me his body."

The padre watched them both with a circumspect expression.

"Alpha, can I talk to you in private ?" he finally asked.

"There's no need for privacy. Jared can hear anything you have to tell me."

"Very well, then. You have to know that this omega came to me once, to get shelter in the holy house of the gods. When I wouldn't let him desecrate it, he left for who knows where, and there's no way to know either what he did to find himself another shelter."

Jensen looked at a red-faced Jared. Nothing would be spared to him on this day, it seemed. Jensen only hoped he could make it up to his omega by loving him more than anyone had ever loved their mate. He squeezed Jared's hand to let him know he was not alone.

"The thing is, Padre," he replied, venomous and pissed at the judging bastard, "I can tell you exactly what he did : he found in my home the shelter our supposedly loving gods had refused him. I feel I should add that it was all in good faith, and that I trust Jared with everything. So now, are you going to marry us, or should we find one of the itinerant men of gods to proceed ? You might be interested in knowing that I plan to give a big donation to Virginiensis, to ensure that our marriage is off on a good footing. I don't really care which padre will get to manage this money."

The Padre was not a good man, but that didn't mean he was a fool.

"I trust you know your omega, my son. As for the money, needs are always bigger in a city like Ismia than in the wild. I'm sure the gods prefer that I manage your donation."

He scurried away then to prepare the temple, offering Jensen no chance to change his mind.

Jensen tugged on Jared's hand, leading him to the altar where Misha and a visibly pregnant Katie were waiting for them, to act as their witnesses. Mishael – also pregnant, her scent gave it away – and Rick were there too, as well as the Collins kids playing around before the ceremony began. Jensen had sent two of his guys to fetch them all as soon as he had left the harbor with Jared.

His omega was more gorgeous than ever in his white outfit. Jensen had helped him out of the coat he had donned to walk to the temple and he was now simply wearing the ancestral mid-thigh-length white tunic. The stylized V-neck was lined by a thick red hem prolonged on the front and back by the red head of an arrow, thinning as it went down the tunic until it reached the other hem, symbol of the physical mating about to happen.

Jared was also barefoot, to remind that in ancient times omegas were led entirely naked to the altar, the sign of their coming to the union pure and devoid of any possession, as they were to be possessed by their soon-to-be alpha. On the spur of the moment, Jensen decided to take off his own shoes and stand as an equal next to his omega. His own outfit was dark red, echoing the arrow of Jared's tunic, but there ended the resemblance, for his shirt and the sides of his breeches were embroidered with golden threads in the form of thick and tall trees whose foliage and fruits were fecund and glittering, like a peacock spreading his plumage to seduce his mate and show his wealth, proud as one as Jensen pronounced the words that tied him to his love and heard them back.

Padre Lehne frowned when Jensen refused to repeat the words that amounted to making Jared his slave, transforming them into a prayer for his love. He frowned even more when Jared followed his lead and asked for the same thing in return. Still, the perspective of Jensen's donation shut his mouth and he preferred to send Misha's way a terrible glare for his snickering.

The time came to take the bracelets out of his pocket and offer one to Jared. The drawings matched but it was easy to recognize which one belonged to whom, for the name of their mate was etched on the other side of the metal artwork, Jared for Jensen and Jensen for Jared, keeping close to their pulse point the thought of the man they loved.

Jared's eyes went wide as Jensen attached to his wrist the symbol of their bond. Jensen hoped it meant he liked it and would be proud to wear it for the next eighty years at least, just as proud as he felt when Jared closed his own around his wrist.

Misha and Katie came behind them to each put one hand on the shoulder of the person they witnessed for. Crossing their other arms, their second hand landed on the intended's opposite shoulder, giving the groom and his squire to each other through the symbolic link.

The wedding was done, they were married. No one would ever take Jared away from him again.

He turned to his husband and didn't wait for the padre's blessing to take him in his arms and share a kiss that was all promise of love and happiness. Misha and Katie kept Lehne occupied while Jared and he savored the kiss and relished the security of knowing they couldn't be separated ever again.

Before they all left for the restaurant to feast on this most joyous occasion, Jensen and Jared went back to Lehne.

"Padre, about this donation," Jensen said. "I'm a man of my word, so here it is. But I know already, now that my possessions are Jared's too, that he will give ten times as much to the omega school fund, to make sure that omegas' welfare is well attended to. Maybe he'll create a shelter too, so that none of them are abandoned outside where anybody might hurt them. And I'll back him up, two hundred percent."

Jensen couldn't help feeling the sweetest satisfaction at the Padre's obvious disappointment and anger.

//////////// 

The dinghy was taking them slowly back home. Both men had taken to row on their own side, but they were more interested in trading kisses than rowing efficiently and the trip was proving long, and anything but straight.

"Did you really mean it ?" Jared asked his husband.

The name didn't feel quite real yet. He had tried it a few times during dinner at the restaurant with their friends, but it seemed he would have to use it again and again to make sure it did soon.

"Did I mean what ?" Jensen answered, his free hand roaming Jared's back under his tunic.

"About your possessions being mine too, and the way I would use them."

"Of course I meant it. I know how much you like to help so I'm sure you'll put that money to good use."

More kisses ensued. It was one long hour before they got back home.

Jared thought he would have to get used to this being literal, too.

His casket was waiting for them on the pontoon, delivered thanks to the Intendant, as the note pinned to it attested. They left it there for the time being, eager to get home and alone after seven days apart and far from Tellia.

//////////// 

"When, Jensen ?"

His mate kept on peppering his neck with hungry, slow kisses.

"We'll know when it's time, love. Don't rush it. We need to feel it."

"I've been feeling it for six months now. Don't tell me I'm rushing this."

"You're sexy when you're impatient."

"And you're annoying when you're…"

Jensen shut him up efficiently with another kiss on his lips, one that lingered and drove Jared even crazier. Or maybe that was the fingers playing with his prostate and leading him to orgasm as sure as the sun rose in the east every morning.

//////////// 

"You know," Jensen whispered as if sharing the fruit of years-long meditations, "ancient texts say that just like the highest mountain you climb is the lowest stage your mind can reach, the strongest desire you inspire is the littlest part of the love you share."

Jensen was lying supine next to his mate. They were lazing around in the garden, chasing clouds and the fantastic beings hidden in them.

"What does it mean ?" Jared frowned.

"I have no idea."

Jared broke into laughter at his mate's silliness.

"You are crazy !"

"Hey, don't mock the poor alpha. I'm sorry I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed but you're the teacher, so enlighten me."

"Admit you just invented this drivel, crazy alpha."

Such a relief to hear his mate laugh again, being merry and carefree. There were many reasons why Jensen wanted to wait before any knotting happened. He knew for a fact that their joining would be all the stronger once they were meshed in each other, totally entwined in love and desire. He did invent that fake wisdom hogwash but that didn't mean he hadn't read a lot about mating in his younger days, when he still believed he could find someone who would love him for himself, not for his title or money. Now Jared deserved the best from him, and that best was the only thing that could ever help him forget his ordeal enough so that wound wouldn't fester and damage his beautiful soul. Their bond had already protected Jared along his tumultuous journey. But Jensen refused to let Jared associate somewhere in his mind what all those other alphas had done to him – and one omega, he recalled – with the love they would share from the moment Jensen turned them into a mated couple.

Jared would know the difference instinctively then, and push the bad memories where they belonged, in that part of everyone's mind where they locked away the hurt and wrong to continue to enjoy life. He would seek their mating bond to pursue his self-growth and feed Jensen his own loving support. Of that, Jensen had no doubt. In time, they would become the living proof that alpha and omega mates standing on equal footing could achieve anything they wished for.

//////////// 

The scent of sex was unmistakable in their bedroom, and the little Tarin monkey just didn't want to admit he was not welcome here, trying to sneak up to Jared's side under the sheet every time Jensen and Jared's attentions were engaged somewhere else.

"Have you come on it, even only once ?" Jensen enquired.

Jared blushed as bright as a thousand suns at the reminder of the one time he had let himself come, thinking he was only dreaming Jensen's hands on him. His alpha smiled gently, understanding without word.

"I thought I was dreaming," Jared stammered. "It felt so good, I was thinking of you, and then I woke up and I saw the monkey, playing with my cock again… I just couldn't look you in the eyes again for many hours after that. That's when I finally installed the net you had told me to get."

Then a terrible idea occurred to him.

"You guessed what happened back then, right ? You never said, but you guessed."

Jensen soothed his pride with a loving kiss.

"It gave me some very lovely dreams too, imagining you like that. But it means that our little friend has probably been considering you his mate since then."

"So I have two now," Jared smiled, bittersweet. 

"No, only one, and I will fight for you if I have to," Jensen replied, his tone half-playful, half-alpha.

Jensen shooed the tiny animal away again and then turned Jared on his back to settle over him, his hands playing with his mate's cock in a much more arousing manner.

"The only way to prove to a Tarin monkey that you're not his mate is to smell of your alpha. So who do you want, Jared ?" Jensen asked while he kept stroking the now completely hard dick, playing with the slit already drooling pre-come. "Tiny over there, or a big bad alpha ?"

Jared couldn't help laughing, all the more when Jensen proved his badness with a bite to his neck that had Jared arching up to feel his alpha everywhere against his heated skin.

"I want you, always."

It wasn't even a contest, although the small monkey was still perched on their windowsill, waiting for an opportunity to come back and cuddle again. Jared couldn't help blushing once more, feeling the animal's gaze on them, but then Jensen slid his fingers into him again and everything else was lost to his awareness.

//////////// 

On the third day of their marriage, Jensen took Jared on a boat trip. His aim was to progressively show him the islands that now belonged to the both of them and explain why they were important. He also began to teach him what he knew about geology, a science thanks to which he had brokered quite a few interesting deals that had totally escaped Sheppard's attention, including his biggest source of income out of the bank.

"I can't take you there today, it's right up north of the Islands, close to the most distant point of the Barrier from here. It's got the only gypsum quarry of the region. It's good quality, and it's huge. If something should happen to me, never part with it and you'll live a long and prosperous life."

"Don't talk about that !" Jared shuddered.

"I don't plan on going anywhere, don't worry. But if it happens, my only consoling thought would be to know that I protected you."

Jared stood up and walked to Jensen at the risk of the dinghy capsizing. He sat by his feet and weaved his arms around his alpha's legs, face in his lap.

"If it happens, I will be right with you."

With this promise of undying love, the sun glinting on Jared's wedding bracelet inspired Jensen to take his mate to Visnia and introduce him to his master.

Just as he had imagined, Jared and Radraniakian founded a mutual admiration society on the spot. Mikalé highly approved of his choice too and he took Jared away for a long while, to show him his village but also to dress him like a true Visnian, bare chest and tiny loin cloth more appealing than ever on his mate's gorgeous body.

Jensen felt a pang in his heart when Jared looked at him, equally embarrassed and happy with the sign of Jensen's attraction.

It was time.

//////////// 

The beige, close-fitting shirt worn by Jared, now that they were back home, was patterned with two black, two-inch-wide stripes on each side, running from the collar to the bottom hem. Jensen moved his fingers, tracing both stripes at the same time, ghost of a touch on Jared's neck that fell down Jared's collarbones and soon encountered his nipples, stroking to hardness. Jared was a shivering mess already, mouth opened to try and capture more air for his protesting lungs.

Jensen's touch grew heavier, more focused by the second. It morphed into a pinch and Jared's gasp, enhanced by his hands gripping Jensen's own shirt to get closer, pushed the alpha into escalation. Jensen leaned in, closing his teeth around the right nub to tease it, never quitting with the rubbing and pinching of the other one.

Jared was a litany of wrecked whispers, love and desire merged together, that turned more desperate when Jensen switched position to play with his second nipple in the same fashion, wetting it with saliva through the now soaked shirt.

Jared was trembling without control, wishing for something he couldn't explain, a need he felt in his whole body.

Maybe Jensen knew what it was, for he disrobed him quickly then took him to their bed, ass raised in the air to be able to touch his cock and balls while he was eating at his hole. Loving sounds filled their bedroom, filthy and arousing, almost as much as the feeling of Jensen's tongue sliding deeper and deeper into him along his fingers, opening him up.

"I'm going to mate you tonight," Jensen announced hoarsely, voice deeper than the day of their wedding, "and then we'll be together, love. Forever bonded."

Jensen took off his own clothes then and Jared turned to watch him. He could never get enough of the sight of his alpha in his full glory, hard cock ready to pierce him. They were really up to it this time. Jared sat to take Jensen's dick in his mouth for a while, like he had done every day since their wedding, sucking it to full hardness, feeling the knot growing under his hand.

Jensen urging him to lie down and covering his body turned him on so much. He let his mate push his legs apart and his knees back towards his ears, completely opened for the taking, as it should be. Jensen raised himself on one arm and used his other hand to press his cock against Jared's hole, driving the large member right into his channel thanks to Jared's slick helping with the slide.

He felt so full already, and Jensen wasn't even past the crown of his cock into him. He wanted his alpha whole, so he wriggled and pushed his ass forward to help Jensen, impatient for his mate to possess him entirely. Jensen complied, drove in and bottomed out, thick and long and downright orgasmic.

That's when Jared felt it, the tension of the knot pushing for complete entrance against his overly stretched rim. It was frightening to think about, and somewhat painful in the first seconds, but impossible to resist when it meant joining with the man you loved. When the pleasure skyrocketed to leave you breathless, drunk on that growing feeling of belonging to your mate. Tiny increments that had Jensen more at home in him by the second, and then the final push that got him fully sheathed, sliding again and again with quick-fire strokes of that gland that made Jared see stars, and soon shooting his load inside his omega for the first time. Planting his seed maybe. And Jared followed, coming full force with Jensen's name on his lips.

He felt it happening then, this weird alchemy, like lead turning to gold. His body melting into Jensen's, with neither certifiable end nor discernable beginning. Something changing both of them for the better and for the worse, in this instant and for the years to come.

Now revealed to him was the reason why Jensen had wanted to wait, stirring up all feelings, emotional and physical, to make this shared moment ripple throughout their lives, unending. The center of their love, the core of the couple they had become.

They were one now.


	6. Epilogue

It had been six months since they married.

Jensen had brought him back to the fertility rock a few days after their mating, once they had been able to leave the bedroom and think about something else than each other. And it had only been to make love again for hours, knotted and inseparable, on the holy boulder.

Jared had researched the legend since the first time Jensen had brought him here. The place wasn't consecrated in the sense attributed by their own religion, no padre had ever come to bless the fertility rock, but the local tradition claimed that each island had one of these huge boulders destined for whoever wished to see their union blessed with a new family. It was said to enhance any omega's fertility, to be a mediator between the Earth's forces and those of the divine, to create life in a previously barren womb.

Jared was beyond sure they didn't need that. Maybe that first time, but not now. He was sure because he had already felt and smelled the first signs that soon he would give Jensen the child they had been hoping for.

He had managed to hide the happy news from his mate so far, thanks to a creative mix of herbs, a recipe shared by their Visnian friends, that had put Jensen's nose off the track. Jared had planned his own surprise ; for once he would be the one to lead his wondering alpha to the place where he would break the news.

He had to do it soon, before someone else might realize and let the cat out of the bag. They still enjoyed their shared solitude, and their friends knew not to come around too much, not without warning anyway, lest they catch the newlyweds engaged in some very personal activities. That was the reason why Jared and Jensen, after discussing the merits of having an omega at home to help them, maybe even a mated couple, decided against it for the time being. They would probably need to reconsider the matter once their child was here, if Jared intended to get back to work full time with his mate.

Jared had written to Padre Jim, to tell him about the love of his life, his jobs at the farm and at the new school, and the island that had welcomed him with open arms. Jensen had included a drawing of them both on the day of their wedding, exchanging bracelets, smiles so bright with the love pouring from each of them that everything else around had paled, half-erased. The padre had written back with his blessing for their union, even as he probably had to abandon the hope of seeing Jared again in this lifetime, and said he would keep them in his prayers, wishing for a long and prosperous mating.

He had also absolved Jared, on condition that he meditated about it, for this vicious feeling of joy at the news that the New Islands had sunk into Tethreya's harbor upon its arrival, trapping inside its hull the soldiers who had tried to defile Jared as well as a good part of its crew, One-Leg included.

Jensen hadn't bothered looking for absolution. His hatred of Jared's abusers was still ferocious, even after their deaths. And he praised Jared, saying that he had really saved his ten fellow ends of grace twice when he asked for their freedom.

In the same way he had included Jared in his life early on, Jensen had become less secretive with his painting in the last few months, inviting Jared regularly into his studio to show him his work. He still enjoyed watching Jared in full blush at the sight of his bawdiest efforts, the ones showing Jared spread and open for his lover, but he had agreed to add himself in his latest work, the alpha making love to his beloved omega, both of them naked and aroused, the heat simmering between them palpable in the texture of the paint.

Now Jared couldn't wait to see Jensen's first drawings of their child.

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, thanks to my friend honscot who did such a wonderful job at betaing this fic for me. I wouldn't have gone far without her. Thanks also to my artist bumerbmw, and to Wendy, for organizing this fantastic challenge, year after year.
> 
> What was and what's never been : as I said in the intro notes, some of the facts mentioned in the fic are true and others invented in the recesses of my mind. If you're curious...
> 
> \- The trips lasted approximately two to four months. I found an article talking about one of them. The ship's captain's nickname was Jambe de Bois (Wooden Leg), and that's of course where I found the idea for my character One-Leg. The trip was arduous, the living conditions disastrous in the armory (called sainte-barbe in French, don't ask me why !). Some women were sick, others didn't make it. The contingents were chaperoned by a woman, at least during their trip. I found mentions of the King's Daughters being placed upon arrival either in a special house for them or with local families before their marriage (that happened as quickly as possible) and not lodged in official places the way I used in my story, nor were they thrown out after two months. 
> 
> \- The naughty and somewhat evil Intendant Sheppard takes the place of the real Intendant Jean Talon who contributed in a major, positive way to the development of the colony. There was also a governor that I totally ignored in my story. Among many other things, the real Intendant asked Colbert, Louis XIV's minister, for some women to be sent to the Nouvelle-France. He clearly stated that he wished those women to not be ungraceful and ugly, or that they be at least sane and strong for the farm work. He also asked for a few well-born _demoiselles_ to marry the officers and help them settle. Depending on the article, I read that men were six to fourteen times more numerous than women in the colony before the King's Daughters came. Even then, it still took some time to increase the population and make the genders more even.
> 
> \- There was indeed a regiment (Carignan-Salières) of 1,200 soldiers sent to the Nouvelle-France to help and protect the settlers in the battles against the Iroquois. The King did want the soldiers to settle and marry there. I didn't feel this story was a good place to discuss in depth the way Europeans invaded a continent, killed its inhabitants or stole their lands, so I avoided the topic by moving the original dwellers of my fic to a nearby place to prevent a conflagration, and I only alluded to a sometime difficult understanding between the two people and the possibility of war in the future. Which is why the regiment in Casket Boy is more of a police force and spends so much time on field trips to eradicate the fake "chowli menace".
> 
> \- French was far from being the only language spoken in France at that time (and this right until the end of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th). Every province had its dialects (like the many variations of Occitan in Southern France). French was spoken in Paris and its region, as well as a few provinces where the King's Daughters were recruited. Which explains why French became the common language in the Nouvelle-France a long time before it occurred in the mother country. Nowadays, dialects are sadly moribund in most French provinces, spoken only by a handful of people, though some schools try to teach the kids in order to keep the languages alive.
> 
> \- Returning to the mainland was not mandatory as I make it in my story for dramatic effect, and there was no allotted "grace" after which the women were transported back to their point of departure. It is said that the King's Daughters were certainly under a real pressure to marry and settle, but they could get back to France if they wanted to.
> 
> \- And if you know a little bit of French and wonder why I call the women Filles du _Roy_ , that's because the current word roi (king) was spelled with a y in that time.
> 
> More facts and links [here](http://artsiriala.livejournal.com/26522.html).


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